


Family Man

by LinkCat



Series: Born Gray [2]
Category: Trolls (Movies 2016 2020)
Genre: Betrayal, F/M, Family Bonding, Hades - Freeform, Iaso, M/M, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Married Couple, Personal Growth, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Self-Doubt, Sex, Treason
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:29:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 25,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28814919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinkCat/pseuds/LinkCat
Summary: Branch endures life as the village healer and king.
Relationships: Branch/Queen Poppy (Trolls), King Peppy (Trolls)/Original Character(s)
Series: Born Gray [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2063172
Comments: 21
Kudos: 34





	1. Beautiful Princess

**Author's Note:**

> This is part two of “Born Gray.” Sorry for any mistakes I make. I hope you enjoy it!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch explains the day that he officially asks Princess Poppy to be his forever.

For the next year, I adjusted to life as an independent troll. It had its moments of hardship, however, it was nice to not have my parents controlling my decisions and suggesting what I did during the day. I was free to do what I wanted and needed to do, to prepare for the family that I wanted with Princess Poppy. I continued to help my village members, as needed. I wanted them to know that I planned to always be with them and help them. I wanted to prove to them that I would make a good king.

There were problems though. I harbored a lot of self doubt. I was going to be a gray king, which worried me tremendously. I didn’t want our kingdom to think that I was incapable of protecting them. My lack of confidence wasn’t helped by the fact that some of the trolls I grew up with, gave me a hard time, because I was still gray. The biggest offender was Dickory, who was one of my friends growing up. He was no longer my friend. I cut my ties with him, after an incident when we were teenagers. He had got into a fight with me, over my lack of being able to fix his short stature. He hated that he was short. After that fight, I refused to talk to him. It wasn’t my fault that my healing ability couldn’t make him grow. Smidge was smaller than him and never gave me such grief.

I also felt a lot of pressure from Creek and Stream. They were spiritual trolls, just like I was, but without the ability to heal. They wanted to teach me more about my ability, however, I didn’t think I needed it. I had learned everything I needed to know, when I was the Greek Goddess, Iaso. I had enough to do, without relearning things that I already knew.

Another thing that had me nervous, was the idea that I would have days of having little to no energy. Whenever I healed someone who was near death, I was so tired that I often did nothing but sleep for days. What kind of king would I be, if I couldn’t have the energy to rule our kingdom during its time of need?

One other problem I faced was that I didn’t make much money. I refused to get paid to be the village healer, however, everyone who I healed, paid me anyway. I was given money, food, supplies, and fire wood. Everything I would need to sustain my life. I still didn’t think it was enough. I wanted the best for my princess. I wanted to get her everything that she desired.

Despite my doubt, Princess Poppy continued to visit me daily. She would tell me about her plans, and what she wanted to see for the future of the colony. She seemed so much more confident then I was. She was the true leader that our colony needed. I think my moments of doubt started to be noticed by her. She often asked if I had a plan. I told her I did, and that I was preparing to execute those plans. She heavily hinted that she was ready for the next step, however, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it. I didn’t want to disappoint her.

Just days before Poppy’s nineteenth birthday, I prepared to go for a walk, to collect spring onions and other late Winter greens, now that the warmer weather was starting to produce plants that could help me for potions and food. I had a backpack on my back, as I left my home. I headed for the trails. It was early morning, so I didn’t think anyone was awake yet. Once I was out of earshot of the village, I began to sing.

I rarely sang. It wasn’t that I thought my voice wasn’t good. I just didn’t like singing in front of other trolls. When I did sing, it was usually only for Princess Poppy. Sometimes I sang to my little sister, Amber, too. Both were precious to me, and I felt they were special enough to hear my singing voice.

Little did I know, Princess Poppy had followed me, when she saw me leave my flower pod. As my song came to an end, I felt her hand, take my hand. I startled, before turning to face my beautiful princess. I hesitated, thinking she would consider me crazy for singing like that when no one else was around. I hoped she knew that that song was about her, and no one else. I didn’t want her to think I was cheating on her. She was the only one for me.

“I will marry you…” I felt her lips, as they came into contact with my lips. I felt like my legs might cave from under me, as I held her to me. I returned the kiss and closed my eyes. After a long, warm kiss, I let her lips go and looked into her magenta colored eyes. “Poppy…” I started, with a deep breath. “I do want to be your king. I didn’t mean to ask you this way, and I don’t have the ring that I wanted to give you. Are you sure you’re ready for this commitment?” I honestly still felt a lot of self doubt, but if she felt this was the time to do it, I trusted her.

“I’m ready, and so are you. We’ve got this.” She told me, with the sweetest smile on her face. I couldn’t help but smile at her. Her optimism was just what I needed. “You’re right, Poppy. I’m ready. I’m not sure why I felt like I couldn’t do this. We’ve been preparing for the future for years now. I’m sorry I’ve had so much self doubt. I want to be a good king.” I explained to her, as I held her close to me. She was so beautiful and smelled so good. I was glad she had joined me on the hiking trail.

“Oh Branch, I don’t think you’ll be a good king. I think you’ll be one of the greatest Kings our kingdom has ever seen. Second best, after my dad.” I couldn’t help but laugh at that comment. Of course she thought her father was the best king. I had a feeling she was being biased, in his favor, however, I did agree with her. King Peppy was the best king I’ve ever known, and I had met a few in my past life. He was humble and incredibly kind.

“King Peppy’s shoes are incredibly difficult shoes to fill. I’ll do my best.” I promised Princess Poppy, as I took her hand. “Let’s go get some spring onions. I’ll make us dinner tonight.” I walked with her, along the trail. She was my fiance now. My future wife and the future queen of our colony. I looked forward to a future that I was hoping would be as great as she talked about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the song that Branch sings. I do not own the song. All credit goes to the creators!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F7t_AfooVI


	2. Lucky Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch explains the day he marries his best friend.

One thing that I loved about Princess Poppy, was how fast she made plans. Whether it was a birthday party or a wedding, she was quick to prepare for special events. Our wedding was no different. As soon as we got home from walking down the trail, she began planning. We both agreed to a summer wedding, so that the flowers were at full bloom. We decided that the first day of summer would be a great time to have everyone gather. It wasn’t too hot or too cold for anyone.

I was surprised she was alright with waiting so long. It made my heart soar to see her so excited. She asked our friends and family to help her with arrangements. Satin and Chenille worked on her wedding dress, and my tuxedo. Creek and Stream worked on gathering flowers and greenery for the decorations. Harper, Smidge, DJ Suki, Hickory, Amber, Princess Rose, and Basil helped with decorating. I hesitated with the idea of Basil helping with decorating. I loved my slightly younger brother, however, he was a jokester. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my gut that he would pull some sort of prank on us. I silently hoped that Princess Rose tamed her savage beast. It seemed he behaved better when she was around.

Biggie, Mr. Dinkles, and Guy Diamond were in charge of making sure pictures were arranged and taken as needed. I joked about how I was certain that Guy Diamond would make everything covered in glitter. My thoughts were not far off. Between him, his mother; Mama Goldie, and his baby sister, Sparkle Ruby, there was glitter all over the place. I didn’t voice it, but I had never been a big fan of excessive glitter. Mercy, Humble, and Peace were glitter trolls, along with several friends and family, however, Guy Diamond was especially bad about getting glitter all over everything. I was sure he did it on purpose. At least with my immediate family, they controlled how much glitter they expressed from their buttocks. Guy Diamond on the other hand, seemed to have no self-control at all.

Despite my concerns and observations, I thought our friends and family did a great job. The wedding was decorated beautifully. Between Harper and Basil’s artistic abilities, the flowers and greens were placed perfectly. It was so perfect, that I suspected that Basil did something I would smack him around for doing. Before the ceremony began, I took him aside and glared at him. “Alright, what did you do?”

“What are you talking about?” I watched Basil’s right eyebrow raise, as he questioned my question. I had a feeling he was trying to fool me. He was up to something. I knew him too well to think he had done nothing to disrupt our wedding. “Nevermind, I’m just nervous. I’m sorry for not trusting you.” I patted his back. “You’re next, you know? Rose is so excited about your wedding.” I eyed his neck. He wasn’t wearing a necktie. He never wore one, and refused to be told to wear one, ever.

“She’s nervous and excited, but she’s ready.” Basil explained to me, before nudging me. “Time to head towards King Peppy.” He encouraged me gently. I straightened myself out, and began walking towards our king. My palms were sweaty, as I approached him. I stood next to him, and waited for Basil to join me, since he was my best man. Humble, Peace, and Yang also joined us and stood next to Basil. I could see that Yang was nervous, as he held the ring bearing pillow to his chest. He was supposed to wait for Yin, but he got nervous and followed his older brothers instead. I was in a black tuxedo. My brothers wore matching suits. We all looked formal and dashing.

Yin was the next trolling to come out. She was the flower girl. She began spreading flower petals on the ground, as she headed towards us. She was in a baby pink dress, with lace along the edges. She stopped for a moment, to push her glasses up. She seemed to see well, with the corrected vision. I quietly wished that I could heal her and Yang’s vision, but I had yet to be able to fix their sight. As Yin approached us, she stood beside me and smiled. “You did well, Yin.” I told her, before giving her a hug. “I’m so proud of you and Yang.”

Right after I gave Yin a hug, I heard the music change. I looked up and smiled when I saw my beautiful bride. She wore a flowing oversized bridal dress that had a tail that had to be carried. Amber was on one side of the tail, and Rose was on the other side. They wore baby pink dresses that matched Yin’s dress. They were so pretty, however, they were not as beautiful as my wife.

As Princess Poppy made her way down the aisle, King Peppy began to sing. I looked at him briefly, as he sang about his precious daughter, his eldest child, as she walked down the aisle towards us. I was so glad that I was given this precious gift. A gift that King Peppy willingly gave me. It was more than an honor. Words couldn’t describe how I felt, as she took her place beside me. I took her hand, as we faced King Peppy.

“Today, our kingdom is blessed with the joining of this royal couple, in holy matrimony. If any of you do not want to see this couple wed, speak now, or forever hold the peace.” I watched King Peppy as he looked around to make sure that no one detested our union.

“I object!” I heard Basil shout, even though he was right beside us. I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise. Of course he chose this moment to make the wedding interesting. He was going to pay for this, when we weren’t all dressed nicely and at an important ceremony. I shot a look at him, as if to challenge him. I wasn’t afraid to tell him off, if he decided to actually give a good reason for refusing our marriage.

“Just kidding!” Basil laughed, before giving me a firm slap on the back. I thought right then and there, that I might tear him to shreds, even though we were at my wedding. Princess Poppy’s gentle squeeze of my hand, helped me so I would change my mind. I had to remember that Basil was a jokester, and was going to do something. He could have done something far worse than this. “Savage…” I whispered to him, before facing Princess Poppy. I decided I would beat him up later.

“Oh Basil, you’re so funny…” King Peppy laughed, before clearing his throat. I was glad he thought it was funny, because I didn't think it was. Basil continued to be a thorn in my side. I loved him most days, but today was not one of those days.

I tried to relax, as King Peppy began the wedding vows. “Today, we bear witness to not only the union of two strong individuals. We also welcome a prince into our kingdom. A man that I watched grow up and serve his village, long before he was old enough to go to school. He had his trials and hardships, along with his victories and achievements. I’m overjoyed to call him my son. In about three years, he will become our kingdom’s king, right alongside my daughter, who will be your queen. Prince Branch Thorn, do you take Princess Poppy, to have and to hold, through sickness and health, until death do you part?”

“I do, your majesty.” I tried to sound as confident as possible. I didn’t want him to think I was as nervous as I felt. I looked at Poppy, when King Peppy began to talk to her. “Princess Poppy, do you take Prince Branch Thorn, to have and to hold, through sickness and health, until death do you part?”

“It’ll be a great honor, dad.” She said, with the same confidence that she always seemed to express. I noticed that there were tears in the corner of Poppy’s eyes. I pulled a tissue out of my pocket, and dried her tears. I smiled, when I heard a few clicks, from cameras. I rubbed her cheek soothingly, to show that I was ready for what came next and to reassure her.

“Then, by the power invested by me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.” I heard King Peppy give me permission to kiss her. I reached in and gave Princess Poppy the longest, sweetest kiss that we had ever shared. For that moment, it was just us, embracing each other, and enjoying the idea that we were now officially married. When our kiss broke, I heard everyone cheer with joy. I faced my wife and smiled at her. She was the best thing that happened to me. I thought perhaps, this would be my time to change. I looked at my hands, hoping they were no longer gray. I was disappointed to see that they were still gray. My spirit was lifted, however, this was still not enough to bring back my colors. Part of me wished that my twin sister, Leaf, was there beside us, to welcome Poppy into our family.

“Branch, it’s OK that you’re gray. I married you for the way you are.” Princess Poppy reassured me. I squeezed her hand, before nodding to her. I led her down the aisle and towards the party floor. I was so glad I had her. She was the confidence I needed. I looked forward to a lifetime of love. I was the luckiest man alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the song that King Peppy sang. I don't own the song. All credit goes to the creators!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmC3rJR7E98


	3. Sensational Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch’s life is about to get even better.

Our marriage opened up more opportunities for us. We now could engage in activities that we had only dreamed about doing before, without the concerns of getting our parents upset or breaking rules that were in place to protect the colony from hardship. The first couple of nights after our marriage, we decided against making love. The celebration of our marriage had us both extremely busy, and we rarely had any privacy. We were ready to engage in such activities, however, neither of us wanted to do it while family and friends were around.

On the evening of our third day as husband and wife, I managed to give up the courage to request we have a night alone. I knew my brothers and sisters were excited, but they needed to go home so that we could have our privacy. Basil was especially difficult to kick out, since he insisted he help us with dinner. I told him I had everything under control. I had a feeling he was jealous. He wasn’t going to be able to have his own way, until he got married to Princess Rose. It wasn’t my problem, and he needed to give us our privacy.

With my family gone, I turned my attention to Poppy. I heard her giggle, as I came towards her with my hands rubbing together. “About time you got them to go.” She teased me, before I could get a hold of her. I kissed her passionately, exchanging saliva with her. I whispered that I loved her so much. I ran my hands along her hips and groaned when I felt her shiver from my touch. I wanted to claim her right there and at that moment. I resisted the urge to strip her yet. I wanted to get her in the mood, even though my manhood was already ready.

“Branch…” Poppy whispered my name. “Your touch feels so good.” I was glad that I touched her in such a way, that made her feel good. I gasped, feeling her hand, as it ran down my belly. She stopped at my shorts, where my swollen cock was throbbing within. I moaned when she began rubbing it gently. The sensation of her hand, as it stroked my member, was a feeling I loved so much. I almost couldn’t stand it. I kissed along her neck and ear. We were virgins, and although I remembered sexual activities in my past life, I knew it would be different, since I was a male in this life.

“Are we going to make it to the bedroom?” I asked her, wondering if we were even going to do this in bed. I groaned, when she began removing my shorts. I had a feeling that this was a no. I helped her out of her dress and panties, before continuing to kiss her hungrily. I took my right hand and rubbed her left breast, while reaching down between her legs with my left hand. I rubbed her inner thigh, to prepare her for what would be coming next. I wanted her relaxed and wet, before engaging much further.

“Branch…” Poppy moaned my name, as I massaged her breast and thigh. I moved my hand up, to her vulva. I searched for her clitoris, knowing that would be a sweet spot. I found the tiny sexual organ, and began rubbing it with the tips of my fingers. I smiled, feeling her sexual juices gather around her vulva. The sweet smell of her juices filled my nose. I moaned, as she stroked my penis. Fluids began to gather at the tip, in anticipation from what was to come. She was ready, and so was I.

As soon as Poppy eased to the ground, I positioned myself so that my engorged member was just outside her vaginal walls. I purred as I tested her hole. I was a little worried it might not fit. The girth of my penis, was larger than her opening. “Are you sure you’re ready?” I asked her, just in case she had second thoughts. I didn’t want to rush her.

“I’m more than ready.” Poppy reassured me, before pulling me in for a kiss. I groaned as I kissed her. I gently began to push my member into her. I moaned loudly, as her muscular walls embraced my swollen cock. Once I was sure I filled her to the brim, I held her to me, and kissed her along her chest and neck. I shivered with delight, as I began bucking my hips. The sensation of her walls was the best feeling I had ever felt. Moving it in and out, added to the bliss we both obviously felt. She was moaning and screaming my name, and I was only just getting started.

“I love you so much, Poppy.” I breathed as I pumped her with all my might. I ran my hands along her sides, before reaching for her right breast. I began to suckle upon it, to add to her pleasure. My heart swelled with joy, hearing her moans and groans. I was glad she was enjoying this as much as I was.

As we continued to engage, I noticed that I had a little more room to go deeper. She was now fully engaged and nearing her peak of ecstasy. I pushed my length into her, until our hips were touching. I picked up my speed, feeling pressure and euphoria. I was also nearing my peak. I moaned her name, as I kissed her chest and breasts. I heard her whisper that she loved me and that I made her feel so good. I told her she was making me feel good too. I held her to me, as we both reached our peak, at the same time. I could feel her cum, as it surrounded my scrotum, and above my cock. I held her, as my precious seeds began to fill her. I breathed hard and looked into her eyes. 

“I love you…” I kissed her over and over. I even lightly bit her bottom lip, which had her flushed and further engaged. “I love you too, Branch.” She told me, before returning the kisses. Once the last bit of cum came out of me, I returned to a steady rhythm. I wasn’t done giving my princess the pleasure she deserved. She was enjoying this, as much as I was.

I lost track of how long we mated, however, it was dark when fatigue began to win over us both. I gathered up the strength to get up. I picked up my precious princess, and carried her to our bed. I could see that she was exhausted, and so was I. As soon as she was in bed, I crawled in with her and spooned her from behind. I felt like I was on top of the world, as I cuddled with her. I told her one more time, that I loved her, before letting sleep take me.


	4. Jalapeno Blackberry Peanut Butter Sandwiches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch endures the first challenges of family life.

Poppy and I spent the first three months of married life, mostly together. We found time for our family and friends, and did what we had to do, however, every night before we went to bed, we made love. From the start, we choose not to use protection or contraceptives. I voiced my concerns to my beautiful princess, since she would be a young mother if she had a baby, but she told me she was alright with having a baby whenever our baby was ready to come. I wanted a baby too, however, I wanted Poppy safe as well. My father Thyme’s death clouded my mind with worry.

I think it was in the middle of the summer, when Poppy conceived our first baby. It was near the end of summer, when she began to experience symptoms. I knew she was pregnant, long before she did. I refrained from telling her, since I remembered upsetting a young couple years earlier, for giving away that they were two weeks pregnant. Instead of telling her, I began spoiling her with treats and delicious meals. She absolutely loved my cooking, so I made all of her favorite things.

One evening, before dinner, she made a request that made me want to laugh. She wanted a jalapeno, blackberry jam, and peanut butter sandwich. The suggestion even had her perplexed. She stared at me for several seconds, after making the request, before giggling. “I’m not sure why I want that. It sounds nasty...” She smiled at me as she explained herself.

“Coming right up, my love.” I wasn’t going to argue with her. If that’s what she wanted, she was going to have it. As soon as I was done making it, I gave it to her and watched as she ate the entire thing. I observed as she took the last bite. I could see that her eyes were watering. “Are you alright?” I asked her, concerned that the jalapenos may have been too much for her. I hoped she wasn’t going to get sick.

“It was so good! I’m surprised I haven’t tried that before.” She looked a little confused, before walking over to the bread. She began making another sandwich. She added marshmallow spread to it this time. I raised a brow and watched as she devoured that too. “Better?”

“Yes!!!” She licked her lips, before heading to the sink to wash her hands. “Branch, I think it’s time we head to the medical pod. I think I’m pregnant. I’m having weird cravings.” I walked over to her and hugged her from behind. I kissed her cheek, as she washed up. “You don’t need to, my love. You’re having a single baby. You’re about six weeks along.” I frowned, feeling her tense up. I wondered what I had done, to upset her.

“You didn’t tell me?!” She yelled at me, before turning to me and glaring at me. She grabbed my vest and clenched her teeth. It wasn’t the first time lately that she had snapped at me. I didn’t react to the sudden temper. I knew better. A raging, hormonal mama was not someone anyone wanted to ever mess with.

“I’m so sorry, my love. I wanted to wait until you knew. I got in trouble with a couple once for telling them early. I didn’t want to upset you.” I apologized to her, sincerely. I watched as she relaxed, and then buried her face into my chest. I was glad she wasn’t truly mad at me. I never wanted to do anything to make her distrust me. I was only trying to help her. “It’s why I’ve been doing all the cooking lately. I wanted to make sure you got everything you need.” I explained to her.

“Oh Branch, you didn’t have to keep secrets. I would have loved to have found out at the same time as you did. Next time, please tell me?” She asked me, with a soft sniffle. I held her and let her cry this out. I knew for the next four and a half months, she was likely going to be an emotional roller coaster, and I was alright with that. “Do you know if it’s a boy or girl?” She asked me, after a short time of cuddling.

“I haven’t been able to figure that out. I’m sort of hoping for a girl.” I told her honestly. “I grew up with four brothers and two sisters.” I smiled at her, and had her look up at me. “I wouldn’t mind either way though, because you grew up with only one sister. You probably want a boy. I’ll just be happy if the baby is healthy, and you get through it without any trauma.”

“I want a healthy baby too, Branch. This baby will be the heir to the throne. It’ll one day rule our colony, just like we will be doing in a couple of years.” She reached in for a kiss. I happily returned it. “No more secrets, or I’ll wrap you up in bacon and feed you to the bogwolves.” She teased me. I couldn’t help but laugh. “You don’t want to feed me to the bogwolves. You’ll want me around to help take care of you and the baby.” I wriggled my eyebrows and chuckled when she booped my nose.

“Bacon does sound good, Branch. Maybe we should arrange a glitterhog hunt. The meat will be fantastic and will last for months.” Poppy licked her lips and smiled at me. I couldn’t help but nod and smile at her. “Anything for you, my beautiful princess. You’re staying home though. I need you and the little bean to stay safe.”

“I understand, Branch. Maybe Rose and I can catch up, while you and Basil go out with some of the colony members. I haven’t seen her since they got married a few days ago.” Poppy looked hopeful, at the thought of seeing her little sister. “Basil probably has her busy. I’m sure they’ve been busy making babies too.” I suggested the idea that my brother had been busy. I laughed when she squealed with delight over the thought.

“I sure hope so! The babies would be the same age!” Poppy’s excitement about the future warmed my heart. We were having a family together, which was what we had planned for, for as long as we had been boyfriend and girlfriend. I couldn’t wait to meet our little bean. I had my concerns, however, Poppy was a strong troll, and our baby was healthy so far. I hoped that everything would continue to be in their favor, as the little one grew. Our future was growing, and would be here with us, sooner than we could ever imagine.


	5. Proud Papa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch and Poppy become first time parents.

To my relief, Poppy had a smooth pregnancy. I spoiled her the whole time, and made sure she got what she needed, in order for our baby to grow and be born healthy. When our baby was big enough to feel it’s movements, I began to spoil it too. I would stroke Poppy’s belly and talk to the little one, as it moved and stretched inside of her. We were also spoiled with gifts, as the colony prepared for the arrival of the young prince or princess.

On Basil and I’s twentieth birthday, Poppy and I got ready to head to her parent’s home, to celebrate our birthday, and Midwinter’s day. We were almost ready, when I sensed that Poppy was in pain. I headed for our bedroom and saw that she was holding her belly. “Are you alright, sweetheart?” I asked her, with deep concern in my voice.

“I’m alright, Branch. I think I had a contraction. Mom says false contractions are normal right before labor. Let’s get over there. I’ll be alright.” She finished getting dressed and put a coat on. She looked uncomfortable, however, I refrained from arguing with her. If she felt well enough to go to the party, then we were going to go. Poppy loved parties. I wasn’t going to take that sort of pleasure away, just because I was nervous. Besides, our family would have panicked if we didn’t show up.

I finished getting ready, and led Poppy towards King Peppy and Queen Lily’s home. I could sense each time she had a contraction. I noticed that they were happening about four minutes apart. As we approached the door, I put my hand on her back. “Poppy, if you’re in labor, we should head for the medical pod.”

“I’ll be alright Branch. We’ll go when the contractions are closer together.” She looked up at me and smiled. She was confident, as usual, that she was going to be just fine. I smiled at her, even though I thought it would be better that she went to the medical pod, where we could monitor her and the baby a little more easily. I sighed and opened the door for her. We were immediately greeted by Queen Lily, who gave us hugs and kisses. I watched as the expecting grandma fussed over her daughter’s swollen belly. I made sure we got inside, before getting Poppy some water. I was certain she was in labor. I wanted her to stay hydrated.

“I think we’re going to have the baby today.” I overheard Poppy tell her mom, as I returned with the glass of water. “The little one wants to share daddy’s birthday.” I heard Queen Lily say, as I assured that Poppy got a drink. I squirmed nervously, when I noticed she was having another contraction. “I’m so sorry, Poppy. I can tell you’re in pain.” I teared up, feeling overwhelming emotion and fear. I didn’t want to lose her or our baby.

“Oh Branch, look at you. You’re getting all worked up, and I’m the one going into labor.” I looked into Poppy’s magenta colored eyes, as she snuggled into me. She was calm now, however, I had a feeling she wasn’t going to remain that way for much longer. Labor only got more painful, the more advanced it got. I hated the thought that Poppy would be enduring such horrible pain. It wasn’t going to be easy for our baby either.

“Why don’t you two get settled in Poppy’s old bedroom. The baby is in the right position and we’re going to have family here that can help if something goes wrong.” Queen Lily suggested, before leading Poppy to her old bedroom. A soft whimper escaped me. I wasn’t so sure about her having a home birth. She was so young and I was so worried she would die in childbirth, along with the baby. “I think she should have the baby in the medical pod. What if something happens?” I voiced my concern.

“We’re not that far away from the medical pod, Branch. It’s going to be alright.” Poppy reassured me, before leaning on her bed. When a whimper escaped her, I got behind her and began to message her back gently. “My water just broke…” She whispered, after her contraction ended. I looked down, seeing that fluid had collected between her legs. I began to tremble with worry.

“Let’s get you settled in bed. You should rest between contractions.” Queen Lily helped Poppy out of her clothes, and then helped her into her bed. I quickly followed Poppy into the bed, and spooned her from behind. I ran my hand through her magenta colored hair, as I tried to relieve some of her discomfort with my healing ability.

“I’m alright, Branch. Try to relax, my sweets.” Poppy took my hand and squeezed it during the next contraction. I held her and whispered that I loved her. I told her that I would do my best to help her through this.

For the next three hours, our family was in and out of the room. Even though there was a party going on, my only focus was my laboring wife and unborn baby. As the contractions came closer together, we repositioned Poppy, so that she was laying back on me. She leaned into me and breathed during each contraction. I was amazed by how calm she was, even though each contraction was now about a minute apart. I watched as Mercy and Queen Lily prepared for the arrival of their first grandchild. They requested I hold Poppy, while she delivered the baby. I was hoping I could catch the baby, however, I understood why they thought better of it. I was far too nervous to do it safely.

“When you feel the urge to push, you can start pushing the baby out.” I looked up when Mercy gave Poppy permission to push. This was it, our baby was almost with us. I looked at Poppy’s swollen vulva, as she bared down and pushed with all of her might. I watched, as our baby’s head slowly came out of her. I held Poppy’s hand, as she breathed between contractions. I kissed her cheek and whispered that she was doing a great job. I told her I loved her and watched with interest as she began to push again.

“Good girl, Poppy. The head is out. During the next contraction, I want you to pant your baby out. That’s it mama, almost there.” Mercy couched Poppy, as she panted hard. I watched with amazement, as our newborn slid the rest of the way out of my wife. I reached down and helped move our baby to Poppy’s chest. I helped dry the little one up and smiled when the room filled with the wails of a freshly born baby.

“Hello my sweet baby.” Poppy cooed at the little one, as Mercy and Queen Lily dried our healthy baby. I healed Poppy of discomfort and watched as our baby stretched and cried on her chest. I noticed when they turned her, that she was a girl. She looked just like my dad, Sky and sister Leaf. “She looks like my twin sister.” I whispered, with tears in my eyes. I kissed Poppy, when she looked up at me. “Good job, my love.” I told her, with great joy in my voice.

“Oh Branch, you’re so handsome.” Poppy told me, before turning her attention back to our baby. I paid no mind to her comment at first, as I ran my hand through our daughter’s royal blue hair. “What are you going to name her, Poppy?” I asked her. I wanted her to have the choice as to what she wanted to name our daughter.

“I was thinking, since she looks like her aunt Leaf, she should be named after her. Is that alright, Branch?” Poppy asked me, before looking back up at me. “I think her aunt would be honored.” I smiled at my wife, as she held our daughter to her chest. I watched as Queen Lily helped set Leaf up to nurse. I reached over and caressed her cheek as she nursed. This was when I noticed that my hand was the same color as our daughter. I looked at my hand, with complete shock. At some point, during the birth of our baby, I had restored my colors for the first time in my life. “I’ve got colors?” I asked our parents.

“You do, son.” Mercy smiled at me, before reaching over to give me a hug. “You look just like your father.” She told me, as she held me for a minute. “I’m so proud of all three of you.” She told us, before giving Poppy a gentle hug. I watched my family, as I held my wife and daughter. This was by far the best birthday I had ever had. I was so glad that I got to share this special day with my baby girl. I looked forward to watching her grow up.


	6. Protective New Father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch shows everyone just how protective he is of his newborn daughter.

Shortly after Leaf was born, Poppy was up and walking around with her. I was surprised by how quickly she had bounced back from the birth. I chalked it up to the fact that she was nineteen, I had healed some of her discomfort, and the fact that she was an impressively hyper individual. She rarely stopped during the day, and the birth of our daughter was no exception for her. She happily let our closest friends and family hold our newborn daughter, and told them that she had had a smooth delivery. She told them I had helped take some of her pain away, and had made her delivery easier for her. I mentioned that I was happy to help. I had helped make Leaf after all. I was pleased to hear comments about my colors. I had seen myself in the mirror, and loved how I looked too.

When Leaf was five hours old, we dressed her in a warm dress, bundled her up, and brought her outside for the first time. Poppy felt well enough to introduce our daughter to the colony, even though she had just had her five hours earlier. I was concerned that it was too cold outside, for our newborn daughter, however, between the two of us, she was kept warm and was kept close. As the colony gathered, Poppy and I walked forward and showed our baby to all of them.

“Thank you, everyone, for coming today. I’m proud to introduce you to Princess Leaf. She’s the heir to the throne, and will be our queen in twenty-one years.” Poppy introduced our daughter to them. I smiled, as the entire colony cheered with joy. It was so nice to see the colony in good spirits. It was as if restoring my colors had given my confidence a huge boost. I felt different, and I loved how that felt. I usually didn’t feel as uplifted during social occasions. Our daughter’s birth likely helped me as well.

“Congratulations, little brother.” I heard my brother’s voice in the crowd. I watched as Basil came up beside us. I glared at him, as he patted my back. “I’m the oldest.” I reminded him, before giving him a hug. “First born, and the first to be a father.” I pointed out to him, before sticking my tongue out at him.

“Rose is having her baby in a couple of months.” Basil reminded me. I was surprised at how calm he was about my teasing. That was, until he reached over and grabbed Leaf from Poppy. I didn’t like how fast he moved when he did that, or how quick he was to run off with her. Poppy screeched as Basil ran over to Rose. I hadn’t let him hold Leaf yet, because he was always so rough. He was proving my point, now that he had stolen her.

“Basil! She was just born! Give her back!” I stormed after him. Leaf was clearly frightened and was crying loudly. Poppy’s face also screamed that she was startled and concerned. It was almost more than I could bear. I was extremely angry with him. Playing or not, this was unacceptable. He was going to pay for this. As soon as I reached him, I grabbed him by the ear. “Rose, take her!” I waited until Rose had our baby, before I pinned my brother down onto the ground. I began to wrestle with him, far rougher than we normally did. I didn’t stop, even when he started crying out for mercy.

“I wasn’t going to hurt her! Damn! Branch!” Basil complained, as I held his arm behind his back, in such a way that it likely hurt. I pressed him onto his belly and growled at him. “She’s a newborn baby, Basil! You’re lucky I love you, or I would have beaten the crap out of you!” I looked up when our mother came storming over. I held Basil down and crossed my arms when she approached. “He started it!”

“I’m finishing it!” Mercy pulled me off of my brother, and then nudged me towards Poppy. I brushed my clothes off of snow, and then joined my wife and sister in law. Rose had just given Leaf back to Poppy. I checked Leaf over, to make sure she was alright. Basil had scared all three of us. I was relieved to see that she was alright.

“Basil’s a brat. I’m ready to go home.” Poppy told me, before waving to the colony. She headed home with Leaf. I walked with her and rubbed her back soothingly. “I’m so sorry. If I had known he was going to snatch her like that, I wouldn’t have allowed it.” I apologized to her.

“It’s a Basil. I wouldn’t expect him to be so gentle. I’m just glad he didn’t hurt her. He needs to learn to be gentle. They’re having a baby in a couple of months.” Poppy complained to me, before entering our home. I closed the door behind her and helped her get comfortable with the baby. Leaf was still crying and was due for a feeding. I hoped that she would calm down enough to feed alright.

“He’s still got some growing up to do.” I grumbled crankily. I assured that she was comfortable, and then got to work on making her dinner. She was going to need continuing nutrition, so that she got what she needed, and Leaf got what she needed too.

“Thank you for protecting her, Branch.” Poppy smiled up at me, when I turned to look at her. “I’ll always protect you both, and any other baby we have. That will never change.” I reassured her, as I cooked. I had always been protective of my family. Nothing in our world was ever going to change that.


	7. Life Has Ups And Downs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch explains a situation not long after Leaf is born, that makes him remember that life is not always so easy.

Leaf’s birth was a tremendous occasion, and was celebrated by the colony for months after she was born. Of course, I spent that time spoiling my girls. Leaf, just like any other newborn, kept us busy and tired. She was demanding and wanted to spend all her time either cuddling with me or with her mama. I couldn’t say I blamed her. We were the only thing she knew from the beginning, and we provided all the necessary provisions that I newborn would need. I even tried to teach her how to potty early, however, she wasn’t ready for it yet. I understood and told her often that I would help her, when she was ready to figure out how to communicate those needs to me. I was more than happy to change her diaper in the meantime.

As Leaf grew, she continued to get more and more photogenic. Biggie spent a lot of time with us, taking pictures of not only Leaf, but of us as well. I was so glad that our photographic friend was so willing to spend time with us, to get lots of pictures of our firstborn child. Our flower pod began to fill with the pictures of our little Leaf. I was so proud of her and my beautiful wife.

One thing Leaf didn’t get from me, was the fact that she had dual colored eyes. She got that precious gift from her grandpa, Thyme. One eye was light blue, like my eyes, and the other was orange, like her grandpa Peppy’s eyes. As she reached her sixth month of life, it was clear that these were the colors that she would likely have for the rest of her life. I loved her pretty dual colored eyes, and was glad that she got something from her mama’s side of the family. She was so much like me otherwise.

During the midsummer water festival, our friends gathered at a blanket outside. I settled Leaf down on the blanket and watched as she played with her feet. She was content and happy, so I laid on my back to take in some of the sunshine. I closed my eyes and took in the natural warmth. I wasn’t there long, when I noticed a shadow come over me. I looked up and smiled, when I saw that Basil and Rose had joined us. I sat up and watched when Rose settled her four month old son, Parsley, beside his cousin, Leaf. He looked just like his father. The two babies began to babble at each other, which I thought was so adorable.

The festival was lively, as it was every year. I let Poppy and our family have the fun, while I stayed with the two infants. It was a great time for me to bond with my nephew, without having Basil all over him and me. He had ended up being just as protective of Parsley, as I was of Leaf. I was glad that he now understood why I had been so protective of Leaf from day one.

As the day came to an end, I noticed that most of the trolls around me felt sick. The first one I healed was Poppy, so that she was able to feed Leaf. Even our baby felt a little bit sick. She was starting to eat solids, so I had a feeling that something in the food had made most of the trolls sick. It was mostly the youngest babies and I that were not sick. I checked the food, and found the source. A batch of potato salad smelled sour. I had a feeling it stood too long in the sun.

I quickly got to work on going around the village, to heal everyone of food poisoning. It wasn’t the first time this had happened, and I knew it wasn’t going to be the last time either. The last home I entered was one of my closest friend’s homes. Hickory wasn’t too sick, however, I healed him like I had everyone else. I was exhausted, as I finished healing him. He offered that I spend the night in his spare bedroom, since it was clear that I was really out of it, from using up so much energy. He made sure I was tucked into the bed. He told me he would be back in a little bit. He wanted to go tell Poppy where I was, so that she didn’t worry about me.

Sleep quickly took me into one of the most awkward dreams I had had in a long time. It was more like a recall dream. I recalled when I had been trapped in the underworld, with Hades. The evil Greek God had tried to convince me to sell him my soul. I refused, which resulted in him raping me. I flinched, feeling hands on my head. I felt something being tied around my head. I startled, feeling someone taking my shorts off. My vision was darkened, due to something being over my eyes. 

What I didn’t realize yet, was that I had been awakened during that awful dream. I felt as a swollen cock slipped into me and thrusted in and out. I was unable to move, as I was raped. I was far too exhausted. I whispered for my attacker to stop, but it didn’t stop. For several minutes, I endured the friction of rough sex, when I didn’t want it.

As quickly as it started, it was over. I felt the sudden prick of a needle on my hip, and then a prickling sensation, similar to that of a sedative. I was certain this was new from my dream with Hades, however, I had had many different dreams about that horrible night. I wished that I didn’t have to remember that awful event in this life too.

I didn’t wake up again, until morning. I felt drunk, as I stumbled towards Hickory’s bathroom. I took a shower, and then got dressed in his bathroom. I was disturbed by the nightmare I had last night, and felt like I hadn’t slept well. I decided to head home, so that I could be with my wife and daughter. It was likely going to take a few days to recover from the colony’s food poisoning.

Once at home, I curled up in bed and tried to think positive thoughts, so I could have better dreams. I smiled, when Poppy and Leaf joined me in bed. I was glad Poppy understood that healing made me exhausted. I was happy to be with my family again, where I felt emotionally safe and stable. I told her that I loved her, as I drifted back into sleep.


	8. Neverending Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch makes the realization, that he was actually raped after all.

Life continued as usual, for the next month. I didn’t think anything else about the night I spent at Hickory’s until I started to feel sick to my stomach. I never got sick, because of my healing ability, so the fact that I felt ill, had me alarmed. I headed towards the medical pod, to figure out what could be the problem. Nothing could prepare me for what Mama Goldie would tell me while I was there.

“Branch, have you been mating with anyone other then Poppy?” She asked me, as she inspected my abdomen. “No...” I looked at her with confusion on my face and in my thoughts. “Poppy is my life and love. I would never mate with anyone other than her. Why do you ask?” I felt my heart pound in my chest. Something wasn’t right, and I could tell it was bothering her. The thought of pregnancy came to my mind, however, it was impossible. I didn’t mate with another male. It was the only way a male troll could get pregnant.

“Branch, you’re pregnant. You would have had to have mated with a male to get pregnant.” Mama Goldie suddenly looked livid. I shrank away from her and got to my feet. I looked at her with my eyes wide and uncertain. “That’s impossible!” I declared to her. I startled when she pointed her golden glittery finger at me. “I didn’t cheat on Poppy, aunt Goldie!” I told her.

“You’re pregnant, young man! You should think about your family, before you go around and mate with other trolls! What is Poppy going to think?!” Mama Goldie yelled at me. She looked so angry. I backed away, before leaving the medical pod. I had my hand on my stomach, as I ran home. I ignored everyone who tried to talk to me, as I fled. I got into my flower pod and closed the door. I headed straight for the bathroom, where I lost the contents of my stomach, all over the bathroom floor. Tears ran down my cheeks, as I got to work on cleaning up my own mess. I had never felt so scared in my entire life. I was afraid my family would react like Mama Goldie had.

Not long after I went into the bathroom, Poppy came in to check on me. She began helping me clean up the puke. I could feel my heart beat hard, in my chest. I had to tell her. She wasn’t going to like it if I kept this secret. “Poppy, we need to have a talk. Something happened, and I’m not sure how.” I took a breath, before leaning into the wall of the bathroom. I felt so awful.

“What’s going on Branch? You’re never sick like this.” Poppy inquired curiously. I could see the confusion on her face. I swallowed hard, before looking down at my belly. “I’ve somehow become pregnant. I have no idea who or how. I did have this weird nightmare a month ago…”

“You cheated on me?!” Poppy snapped at me. I startled, before shrinking away from her. I’ve never heard her so angry. I cringed, when she started yelling at me. “We have a baby, Branch! You can’t do something like this, and expect it to be OK! We’re an example, not only for our daughter, but for the entire colony! Shame on you! Get out of this flower pod!” She screamed at me, as I felt her help me to my feet. I hung my head and watched as the color came out of my feet. My colors had faded away, only seven months after gaining them. “I would never cheat on you Poppy…” I tried to reason with her, but at that moment, she was too angry to reason with.

Once outside, Poppy slammed the door on me. I was kicked out of my own home, and I was innocent. I would have never intentionally hurt her or our daughter. Tears ran down my cheeks, as I looked for a place to hide. News was going to spread quickly, and at that moment, I didn’t want more negative feedback. It was bad enough that my aunt Goldie and Poppy thought I had done an act that was unforgivable. 

I soon found a crevasse, where I squeezed inside. I curled up into a ball, and let my hair surround me. I blended in, looking like a fuzzy fungus plant. I closed my eyes and silently wept. My heart was broken. I had a bad feeling I just lost Poppy and Leaf. What I was accused of, could give Poppy a right to divorce me. That thought had me so upset. If she divorced me, I would rarely see my beautiful girl. I didn’t want to lose either of them. I wasn’t even sure what happened, but I did suspect I was raped the night I had a nightmare about Hades. It was the only logical reason why I would be pregnant.

I laid in there for a few hours. My mind was not my friend. Every possible thought of what could happen with my life, next, plagued my mind. When I started hearing Basil’s voice, calling for me, I got as quiet as possible. I had a bad feeling he would beat the glitter out of me, when he found out I was pregnant.

“Come on, Branch! Get out here!” Basil sounded annoyed, which only had me more fearful. I remained hidden, as he passed by the crevasse that I was hidden in. I began to tremble, when I saw Stream and Creek. Both of them were walking straight towards my hiding place. I knew they would be able to sense my spiritual presence. I winced, when Creek went inside the crevasse. He had found me. I wish he hadn’t found me. I wanted to disappear, instead of seeing Poppy upset and angry at me again.

“Come on out, Branch.” I felt Creek’s hand, when he reached into my hair dome. I shrank away from him and swallowed hard. “I’m never coming out, ever again. Poppy is so angry…” I whimpered, when he helped me to my feet. I hung my head, when he helped me out of the crevasse. I avoided eye contact, as Stream and Basil joined us. “I didn’t cheat on her…”

“I believe you, Branch.” Stream reassured me. “I can see that you’re telling the truth. Let’s go have a talk. You look like you’ve been crying for the last few hours.” He told me, as he rubbed my lower back soothingly. I was glad someone believed me. I startled badly, when I felt Basil’s hand on my shoulder. I flinched, when he hugged me. I wasn’t expecting him to show me affection. The sound of the annoyance, earlier, had me worried he would attack me instead.

“Easy, Branch. I’m going to help you out. You look so tired. Here, I’ll carry you back to the village.” I felt Basil take me into his arms. “I’m a grown man. I don’t need to be carried…” I whispered to him, even though it was nice to feel some comfort. He was right, I was tired. I also didn’t feel good and was extremely stressed out.

Once we were at Creek’s flower pod, Basil settled me down on Creek’s couch. I felt a blanket go over me. I didn’t look at them, as I turned, so that my face was to the back of the couch. I closed my eyes and sighed heavily. I didn’t want to see anymore angry faces. I felt like I had ruined the trust I had worked on building for the last twenty years.

“It’s going to be alright, Branch. Whatever is going on, we’ll get it figured out. Poppy loves you. She’ll come to terms with what happened and be supportive. It’s clear by the way you’re acting that you didn’t do anything on purpose.” Stream reassured me. I could feel him sit next to me on the couch. I whimpered, when he gave me a hug. “She’ll never forgive me. She thinks I did something unforgivable.” I complained sadly. I didn’t think Poppy would forgive me.

“She’s scared, Branch. Just like you are. Give her some time. Can you tell me what you remember?” Creek inquired gently. I began explaining what I remembered from a month earlier. Once I was done explaining, I felt all three of them hug me.

“We’ll find your rapist, Branch. I’m hoping before you have your baby, however, it might come down to that. Take some deep breaths, big brother. It’s going to work out. We all still love you.” Basil squeezed his way behind me, and spooned me, like he did when we were kids. I took his hand and squeezed it tighty. I hoped he was right, and my rapist was found. At that moment, I couldn’t think of who would hurt me like that, let alone a motive for such an act. I hoped we found him, before my baby came, or it was going to be a very long five months of waiting.


	9. Reassuring Wife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch’s wife makes sure he knows that he’s still loved and cherished.

The first night, after finding out I was pregnant, was not easy. It was the first time, since before I got married to Poppy, that we spent the night away from each other. Basil and Rose had invited me to spend the night in their flower pod, so I could have a familiar place to sleep. Every time Parsley woke up for a feeding, I was up, helping Rose with him. It couldn’t help it. I was so used to helping Poppy with our little Leaf. I needed a feeling of normalcy.

During an early feeding, Rose told me I could go back to bed. She told me she was worried about me and that it was clear I was exhausted. I told her that helping her was helping keep my mind preoccupied. Besides, nightmares were making it hard for me to sleep. I still had doubts that Poppy would forgive me, even though it wasn’t my fault that I was raped while in a sleepy and weakened state. I had a lot of doubts and was so scared that I wouldn’t be able to see Leaf any time soon. I already missed her and her mama so much.

As morning came to the village, I awoke to the smell of oatmeal, honey, and butter. The smell was mouth watering. I got out of bed and headed for the kitchen. “Can I help?” I asked, as I turned the corner. I froze, when I saw that Poppy was in there making breakfast, with Leaf in her hair. I swallowed hard, and backed up. I didn’t want to face her wrath again. She was scary when she was angry.

“Branch…” Poppy called me, before following me. I avoided eye contact, as she embraced me. “I’m so sorry for yelling at you. I misunderstood what you were saying. I thought you cheated on me. I was scared.” She explained herself, as she cuddled with me. I noticed Leaf move between us, which did make me smile a little bit. She began cuddling into me too. I slowly relaxed and hugged my girls. I wasn’t expecting to see them this soon, after our fight, let alone hug them.

“I would never do that to you.” I whispered to her. I closed my eyes and sighed heavily. I still felt so tense. I had a feeling it was going to take a while for the tension to ease. I had built up a lot of it, after our fight the day before.

“I know that, now. Creek told me what happened. I think I understand it now. You thought you had a nightmare. I should have let you talk to me. I was so angry...” Poppy told me, as she held me closely. I could see that she was sorry. “I was scared that I would lose you and our baby. I don’t want to ever lose either of you. You’re the best thing that could ever happen to me.” I told her, with a soft sighed. “I don’t know what to do, about the baby. We didn’t want to have another baby until Leaf was two…” I had a lot of concerns about the future. I didn’t ask for my pregnancy, and now we were having an unwanted trolling.

“It’s going to be alright, Branch. We can raise it and love it, as if I produced it. Leaf will have a little brother or sister that will be about a year younger. Sooner than we wanted, however, I could have had twins, so I don’t think this will be much different. Besides, Rose and I are only eight months apart, and we get along great.” Poppy tried to reassure me. It was sweet, that she was trying to make me feel better, however, this baby was forced on us. I hated that it was. I knew it wasn’t the baby’s fault, but part of me hated that it existed. I didn’t voice my opinion, because I didn’t want to upset Poppy. I was just glad that I had her and my baby again. I didn’t want to make things more complicated again.

“Let’s get some food in your stomach.” Poppy encouraged me back into the kitchen, and then settled me down in a chair. I watched her as she made me a bowl of oatmeal. “May I please have extra honey?” I requested, as she put some in my bowl. I watched her put another spoonful in, and then took it when she gave it to me. I quickly consumed some of the delicious breakfast. I felt a lot better, then I did the day before. I was glad I wasn’t feeling nauseated this time.

“We’ve got to try to figure out who hurt you.” Poppy sat down with her own bowl of oatmeal. I watched her as she fed Leaf, and herself. I looked uncertain, as I slowed the pace that I was eating. “I’m not sure who could have done it. Hickory did come to my mind, however, I know him. He would never do something like that. I think my attacker either wanted to mate with me because I was back to having colors and he thought I was handsome, or he wanted a power trip, since I’m the future king. Either way, he needs to face justice.” I looked at the remaining oatmeal. I suddenly didn’t feel like eating anymore. The thought that someone had raped me made me feel sick to my stomach, again.

“I agree, he needs to face justice. We’ll figure this out, Branch. I just hope we figure it out, before you have your baby. I don’t want him hurting anyone else.” Poppy told me, with a frown on her face. I agreed with her. I hoped my rapist was found, before he hurt anyone else. No one deserved the fear and stress that I had endured. I decided right then and there, that I would investigate this, even if it meant working even harder then I normally did. I was determined to keep our colony safe.


	10. Expanding Our Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch endures the physical and emotional pain of childbirth.

Unfortunately, we didn’t figure out who my rapist was before the birth. For the next five months, I tried my hardest to figure out who hurt me. Evidence got me nowhere. Whoever he was, he didn’t want to be caught. I was so worried that he would get away with his crime. In that time, my belly grew large. Creek and Stream warned me I was having twins, since I had chosen to keep them. The little ones slowly grew on me, however, part of me still wished that they didn’t exist. I didn’t feel the same bond with them, that I felt with Leaf. I made myself angry, thinking I wasn’t being fair for them. It wasn’t their fault, that I was hurt. I told myself, I had to try to love them. They needed me. Especially since they were likely going to be treated differently, due to the fact that they came to be during a difficult time in my life. Aborting my pregnancy had crossed my mind several times, however, I decided against it each time it came to my mind. Poppy seemed so excited about my twins. I didn’t have the heart to upset her more than I already had.

On the twenty first birthday for Basil and I, and the first birthday of our baby Leaf, everyone we loved and cherished, gathered at our home, to celebrate not only our birthday, but Midwinter’s day too. I was still carrying on, with my daily activities, despite having an enlarged belly. Poppy did try to spoil me, like I had for her, however, she was busy and I knew that. I told her that she didn’t have to be so sweet. She still insisted on giving me the same treatment I gave her. I did appreciate her help, even though I acted like I didn’t want it. It had become hard to bend down to pick up things. I had two little trollings, making it hard for me to bend over.

Once everyone was gathered, and snacks were out, I settled down in my recliner chair with Leaf. I gave her a cookie to chew on, and watched as she nibbled on it. “Happy Birthday, my pretty little girl.” She looked at me, with the sweetest smile. She had a few teeth in her mouth, and was starting to walk. I was so proud of her. She had become so big in only one year’s time.

“Lub dada!” Leaf declared to me, before offering me the rest of her cookie. I took a small bite of it, and laughed when she shoved the rest of it in my mouth. I ate it and swallowed. “Are you taking after your mama?” I booped her little nose and smiled at her. It seemed she did have some of her mama’s quirks. She was always trying to help me, just like Poppy did.

“Yes!” Leaf giggled when I touched her nose. She was so cute. I watched as she rested her head on my belly. I watched her face, as her unborn siblings brushed up against her head. “You were inside your mama, this time last year. You wanted to come out so that you could share my birthday.” I told her, as I rubbed her little back gently. As she cuddled with me, I felt a contraction start up. I quietly endured it, and silently prayed that it was a false labor contraction. I had been hoping for days that the twins wouldn’t arrive on our birthday. It would mean five birthdays all on the same day, which was also a holiday.

When the contraction settled, I got up and carried Leaf to the kitchen. I got some juice and drank it. I then gave Leaf to her grandpa Sky. I quietly headed back to the chair. I was having another contraction, as I eased back into the recliner chair. I put my hand on my swollen belly and silently pleaded to my twins to wait. Today wasn’t the day I wanted them to come.

For a couple of hours, I tried to ignore the fact that I was in labor. The contractions were getting closer and closer together. Everytime someone asked if I was alright, I told them I was fine and that the twins were just making me uncomfortable. It was true, they were definitely making me very uncomfortable. When the pain became too much for me to bear, while sitting in my chair, I got up and headed for our bedroom. I could feel that my pants were wet. My twins were coming, whether I wanted them to, or not.

“Branch?! What’s wrong?!” I heard Poppy as she followed me into the bedroom. I stopped by the door and let out a loud groan during the next contraction. “They’re coming…” I told her with a whimper. “Oh god, it hurts so badly.” I complained, as I worked on getting my pants off. I was relieved that she helped me out with them. Once they were off, I crawled into the bed on my hands and knees. 

Everything in me urged me to bear down and push. I thought it was a bit soon to do that, however, my body wasn’t giving me a choice. I began to push hard, which resulted in the quick delivery of the first twin’s bottom half. I reached, to feel between my legs. I screeched in horror, when I realized that the first twin was breech. What had I done?! I put my baby in danger, by not saying anything and having a home birth, when I knew home birth with twins was risky.

“Mercy! Branch is having his twins, now! I need help!” I heard Poppy call for my mom. I felt her gently take the baby in her hands. “Branch, you have a little girl coming out backwards. I need you to breathe and do what your body tells you. It’s what I did when I had Leaf.” She tried to encourage me, even though she hadn’t been on this side of a birth before. I breathed hard and tried to remain calm as I breathed. I knew pushing too hard and too fast with a breech baby could be bad for not only the baby, but for me as well.

“Branch? You didn’t say anything?” I heard Mercy, as she came inside. “Amber! Get me blankets!” I felt her take Poppy’s place, and felt her move my baby. I pushed, during the next contraction. I felt Mercy’s fingers, as she helped the shoulders of the baby out of me. I began panting, knowing that it would make it so I didn’t push too hard. I yelped as she helped free my daughter. I looked back and watched as Mercy cleaned her with one of the blankets that Amber had brought in. 

“I’m so sorry! I should have gone to the medical pod…” I watched with concern, as Mercy moved the baby so she was in front of me. The little one looked like me, except she had red and royal blue two toned hair. She wasn’t crying. I helped stimulate her. “I’ve got her. Please catch her twin…” I pushed as I cleared my daughter’s mouth, and then began willing her to live. I had a bad feeling she had gone a little too long without oxygen. She was alive, but only just. “You’ve got to breathe sweetheart.” I gave her a tiny breath, before bearing down and pushing for her twin, again. I watched as the first twin began breathing. She let out soft cries, as I rubbed her chest. She was still weak, but she was trying. “There we go…”

“You’re almost done, Branch. The second baby is crowning. I see royal blue hair.” Mercy encouraged me. I looked up when Poppy gently took my newborn daughter, so I could focus on the second born twin. I kissed her, when she gave me a kiss, and then pushed when I felt the urge to. “Oh god…” I whimpered, as the head came out of me. I reached back, and felt around. “Almost there…” I panted hard, and groaned as my second twin came out. As soon as my baby was free, I carefully rolled onto my back, so I could get a good look at this baby. I frowned, when I saw him. I cringed when he began crying. He was doing a lot better than the first twin.

“I know who raped me…” I breathed hard and looked away from my newborn son. The second twin was yellow-green in color, except for his hair. His body was shorter, and his arms were smaller than his twin sister’s. He had the same type of dwarfism that Dickory had. I clenched my fists. I should have known it was him. He had been so angry about me not being able to help him. He also seemed so jealous of me and Poppy being together. This had obviously been a power trip.

“I know who it is too.” Poppy sounded angry. She sat beside me and wiped my forehead dry of sweat. “He’s going to face justice, for what he did. He’s never hurting another troll, ever again.” She reassured me, before helping me set my daughter up to nurse. I felt my son go on my chest. I didn’t look at him, as Mercy helped set him up to nurse. He looked so much like Dickory, that I was having a hard time accepting him. I supported him with my arm anyway, so he wouldn’t fall from my breast.

“Stay here and rest.” Mercy told me, before leaving. She sounded angry too. I hoped she wasn’t leaving to confront him alone. I frowned when Poppy followed her. I looked up at Amber, who had stayed in the room with me. I wasn’t sure what to say to her. She had watched most of the birth, which was probably more than she had intended to see.

“Are you alright?” Amber asked me, before moving closer. She sat beside me and looked at my twins. I was certain she was worried about me. “No, I’m not alright. My best friend’s twin raped me.” I whispered softly. “I can’t even look at my son. This isn’t his fault.” I sighed tiredly. I closed my eyes, when she hugged me. I felt like a bad father, for rejecting my son.

“Give yourself some time, Branch. You’re feeding him, which is a step towards accepting him.” Amber encouraged me. I looked away from her, feeling a deep feeling of insecurity and uncertainty. I wasn’t sure I could accept my son, even though he didn’t ask for this. All three of us hadn’t asked for this.

“Do you know what you want to name them?” Amber asked me, out of curiosity. I thought about this question for several minutes. I didn’t want to give them names that I would regret later. After thinking it over, I looked up at her. “I’m thinking I’ll call them Maple and Oak.” I burped them, and then settled them down in the cradle. I made sure they had diapers on and were wrapped up warm. I still couldn’t look at Oak. I waited for Amber to clean up the bed, before I laid back down. I was so tired from the birth and from healing Maple. It didn’t take long, before sleep won over me. I was going to need the rest, after a long and difficult day.


	11. Bad Boy Banished

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch finds out that Dickory faces justice for what he did to him.

After a short nap, I woke up to the loud cries of a healthy newborn baby. I sat up over the edge of the bed and winced from being horribly sore. I looked at the cradle, where I heard the wails. I had a feeling it was Oak who was crying, since Maple appeared to have softer cries. I got up and looked between them briefly. As suspected, it was the boy who was crying. A soft sigh escaped me, as I picked him up. I took care of his needs, and then settled him back down by Maple. I hardly looked at him while taking care of him. I was still struggling to accept him. Once he was back in the cradle, I began tending to Maple. I wanted to get them into a routine, where they would get their needs met at the same time, so that we were not up at all hours of the night. I remembered it was hard for my father, Sky, to care for Basil and I at the same time. Poppy and I were likely not going to get much sleep for the next six or more months.

“How are you feeling?” I looked up, when Amber came in with Leaf in her arms. I had sensed that she was nearby with my eldest. Everyone else was gone. I could sense a lot of tension nearby. I had a feeling the whole village was involved in whatever punishment that Dickory was facing. I could sense that he was fearful and in pain. I wondered if they were taking turns tearing him to shreds. I didn’t feel sorry for him. What he had done was wrong. King Peppy and Queen Lily were still in charge, so they were likely coming up with a fair punishment for the horrible crime. I suspected either banishment or a very long jail sentence, if my brother, Basil, didn’t kill him off first. I hoped they at least castrated and amputated his sexual organs, so that he wouldn’t hurt anyone else ever again.

“I’m OK, considering I just squeezed two little beans out of my body. I’ll feel better in a few weeks, after my organs have a chance to shrink back to normal.” I explained to my little sister, before finishing Maple’s care. I sat down in the bed with her and placed her on my chest. I had bonded with her, already, and wanted to make sure she was alright. She seemed to have recovered well from her near death experience. If I wasn’t a strong healer, she may have been at risk for cerebral palsy, if she had even survived her birth, however, she wouldn’t suffer from any sort of ailment, because I had healed the damages right away.

“Branch?! Why aren’t you bonding with your son?” I heard my mom, as she came in. I looked away, as she came up to me with Oak, after she had picked him up. I wasn’t ready to accept him, if I even accepted him at all. “I can’t look at him, mom. He looks just like…”

“He’s innocent and did nothing wrong! He’ll likely grow up to be a sweetheart, just like someone else in our family, who didn’t ask to be born either!” Mercy scolded me, for rejecting my son. I winced and looked into her light yellow eyes. She had a good point, and I knew exactly who she was talking about. Amber didn’t ask to be born, yet she was. She looked just like her biological father, from head to toe, yet she was the sweetest young lady I’ve ever met. I couldn’t believe she was now old enough to be on her own.

“I’m sorry, mom.” I offered my arm, so that she could place Oak into it. I looked down at his chubby face and watched as he yawned, shortly after he was placed in my arm. I had to admit he was very cute. A sigh escaped me. It wasn’t Oak’s fault that Dickory had raped me. I had to be fair to him and give him a chance. “I’m sorry son. I’m trying. Daddy’s just having a bad day.” Tears threatened, when I thought of what could have happened. More than once I had thought of inducing labor early or aborting them. If I had done that, they wouldn’t have lived.

“It’s going to be alright, Branch.” Mercy grabbed a tissue and dried my face with it. She smiled at me, when I looked at her. “Dickory isn’t going to hurt anyone ever again. Poppy and Faith assured he won’t be raping again. I stitched him up, so he’ll get to live. King Peppy and Queen Lily banished him. I think he’ll think twice before messing with anyone else.” Mercy explained to me.

“I sure hope he stays the hell away from here, mom. He’s lucky Basil let him live. He talked about killing my attacker.” I looked at the twins. I hoped for their sakes that they would never meet their sperm donor. I didn’t trust him with the twins. He had lost everyone’s trust as soon as we knew what he had done.

“It took half the village to hold Basil back. He wanted to kill him, however, we can’t allow that sort of behavior. King Peppy and Queen Lily want peace in our village. We can’t just kill. I’m sure you remember what happened the last time someone murdered without doing it the right way.” Mercy reminded me, as she got busy cleaning up our bedroom.

“I remember, mom. King Peppy has taught me the way he wants the village to run, when our time comes. I should be recovered by then, from the birth of my twins.” I looked at my babies. They were going to be a month and a half when Poppy and I became the king and queen. Our time to step up to the throne was coming soon. I hoped that I didn’t disappoint our colony. I wanted to be a good king, even if I was gray for the rest of my life.


	12. I Am King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch explains the day he becomes the king of his colony.

For the next month and a half, we adjusted to life with having three babies. I slowly grew a bond with both twins, and was no longer regretting that I let them live. Leaf wasn’t as jealous as I thought she would be, and was taking the new additions to our family with stride. She only had a problem with the twins, when they cried for food, when I was in the middle of playing with her. Her glare was absolutely adorable. She even told them ‘no’ a few times, when they started to cry when I was playing with her. I explained to my young daughter that the twins needed to eat a lot, and that I would play with her again, when their needs were met. She didn't seem to understand, but I understood that she was frustrated. It was only her, until her first birthday. It was going to take a while for her to get used to a new routine.

Maple was surprisingly passive and spent most of her time sleeping. She sometimes didn’t even wake up when Oak woke up. I suspected she might be deaf, however, I hoped she wasn’t. Not all kinds of deafness were healable. If she was missing bones in her ears, that helped her hear sounds, she would never be able to hear. It would be the same if the bones were fused together. It was too early to test her hearing, however, so far she never reacted to sounds. She had me so worried that we started to learn sign language, just in case she was deaf. I taught her while we learned, just in case it was necessary. I wanted her to be able to communicate with us easily.

Oak was healthy, despite being tiny. His head was considerably larger compared to the rest of him, which meant I had to be extra careful with handling him. I had a feeling it was going to take a little while for him to get strong enough to hold his head up while on his belly. Both my twins were still too young to do that anyway.

On the day of the coronation, I noticed that Maple looked uncomfortable. She waved her little arm up and down and began fussing. I remembered giving a similar signal to Sky, when I was tiny. I quickly grabbed a chamber pot, and took her diaper off. It was surprisingly dry. I settled her on the pot and smiled when she began peeing in it. “Poppy! Maple just signaled to use the chamber pot.” I smiled at my daughter and waited for her to finish. I noticed she was starting to poop too. “Smart for a month and a half. She’s my good girl...” I told Poppy as she walked over to us.

“She’s taking after you.” Poppy mused as she got to work on taking care of little Oak. We were going to have the babies babysat, during the coronation. They were still going to be dressed nicely, for pictures. As soon as Maple was done going potty, I got to work on cleaning her and dressing her. We decided that the girls would both wear baby blue dresses, with flower patterns on them, to match Poppy’s dress. They both wore headbands with a single fabric flower sewn on. Oak was going in a tiny blue suit, that matched my suit, and a necktie that matched the color of our suits. He was also wearing a similar headband, but his headband had a tiny fabric leaf sewn on it.

Once the babies were all dressed, I finished getting ready to go. I placed my prince leaf crown on my head and looked at myself in the mirror. It had been about six and a half months since I had lost my colors. I missed seeing my hair a brilliant royal blue. I had tried to get my colors back, but nothing so far had helped me get out of the gloomy feeling I had felt during my pregnancy and after the birth of my twins. Mercy suggested I might have postpartum depression. I had a feeling she was right, although it was a mild case compared to cases I had seen before. I thought perhaps after I weaned my twins, I might start to feel better.

When it was time to go, Poppy and I headed towards the concert mushroom with our three babies. Once at the mushroom, we gave our little ones to their grandpa Sky and grandma Mercy. “Thank you for babysitting, while we go through this important ceremony.” I told them, before giving them each a hug. I took Poppy’s hand and walked with her onto the concert mushroom. I was starting to tremble slightly with nerves. I was so worried that I would be a bad king. Today was going to be my first day as one of the leaders of our colony. I didn’t want to let them down.

“Breathe, Branch. It’s alright.” Poppy whispered to me, as she squeezed my sweaty hand. I gulped and looked at the entire colony. They were watching us and whispering among themselves. I could sense that everyone was happy, which was a huge relief. I saw my siblings near the front, with my parents and children. I couldn’t help but smile when Basil put his thumbs up in approval. Despite our fights as kids, he had been a great support system. Especially for the last year. I was glad he approved of this. He had given me such a hard time when Poppy and I got married.

“I have known Branch and Poppy since they were babies, and I couldn’t be prouder than I am today.” King Peppy started, which had me at full attention towards him. I watched as he stepped towards us. “Today I’m proud to pass my crown over to King Branch, who will be our king. Queen Lily will be passing her crown to our daughter, Queen Poppy. They will rule our colony, until Princess Leaf is twenty one years old.” He told the colony, as I watched him move his king leaf crown, and replaced it with my prince crown. I smiled when I heard the colony cheer with joy. I watched as Queen Lily walked over to us, and placed her queen crown onto Poppy’s head. It was official. We were now the new leaders of our colony.

“I’m proud to introduce our new king and queen!” King Peppy declared, before grabbing our hands and lifting them up into the air. I looked at the crowd of our people. They all cheered with joy and jumped up and down. I could hear some of them saying they loved us. I blushed, when I heard some of them say they loved me. My people loved me. I felt my heart pound in my chest, as I smiled at them. I was glad they approved of me. I had tried all my life to prove my worth. I was glad that I was their king.

“Branch! Your colors are back!” Poppy squealed with joy and hugged me to her. I grinned and spun her around. “Of course my colors are back! Look at our wonderful people. They helped me get them back…” I gave my beautiful wife a kiss, which of course resulted in more cheering. I heard a few clicks from cameras, as we shared our first kiss as king and queen. I felt so warm and happy. I was glad I had restored my colors. It felt like I could finally go back to normal, after having such a bad batch of months.


	13. Father Not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch explains a difficult day during his time as king.

Peace came to the village, for the next five years. During this time, my family grew. Poppy and I were expecting our fourth child, after giving our three oldest enough time to reach school age. As suspected, Maple was deaf. Our little princess was given accommodations, so that she was able to communicate more easily. Despite the challenges she faced, she was incredibly intelligent. She competed with Leaf when it came to school work, and it was amusing to watch the two girls try to beat each other. Leaf was advanced, compared to Maple, however, she did have a year longer on earth to learn before Maple had been born.

Oak seemed at a normal pace in learning, and didn’t seem any different then any other child at his age, except for his height. He was much shorter than his sisters, which was not a surprise, considering he was born with a type of dwarfism that made his body and limbs shorter and smaller than normal. His personality was similar to that of my father, Sky. He was usually quiet and loved to look at picture books. I had a feeling he was going to be a bookworm when he became older.

It was in the middle of spring, when Poppy went into labor with our fourth baby. This baby was in the right position, so I felt comfortable with letting Poppy deliver at home, where she was more comfortable. I had Mercy there, just in case something went wrong. While Poppy endured labor, I asked our children to go out and play, so that their mom could have peace and quiet, while she endured the painful process of childbirth. 

Labor for her wasn’t as long this time, and just before lunch time, we welcomed our youngest. We had a son that Poppy decided to name Aspen, since we had a tree theme going on. I was so proud of her. She had given us a handsome boy that looked just like her. I made sure she was comfortable, after she fed him, and then let her rest. She appeared extra tired after this birth, which didn’t really surprise me. Aspen was a large boy, and had taken more effort to push out then Leaf had been.

With Poppy tended to, and Aspen tucked in a cradle for a nap, I left Poppy with Mercy to go check on our oldest three. They had been quiet the last hour, which had me worried that they were getting themselves into trouble. I called them, once I was outside and looked around for them. I didn’t see them, which told me they likely went out exploring. I had a bad feeling they tried to do it without an adult. I grumbled about my naughty children, as I headed towards their spiritual presences.

Several minutes after heading towards them, I sensed that all three of them were scared. Leaf seemed to be in pain, which had me running at full speed. I quietly prayed that a predator wasn’t eating them. I did not want to bury my children, the same day their little brother was born. My blood boiled as I rushed towards them. I now sensed Dickory too, which told me he was causing the problem. I could now hear all three of them screaming and could sense that they were all in pain.

I didn’t even hesitate, when I arrived. I barreled into Dickory and began throwing punches. I didn’t care what he just did. My babies were hurt, and he was the cause. I quickly pulled a knife out of his hand and began stabbing him angrily. I didn’t stop, until he was dead. I didn’t even give him a chance to fight back. I was livid beyond comprehension and blinded by rage.

With the attacker dead, I turned to my babies, who were huddled into each other. All three of them were covered in blood. I could no longer sense that any of them were in pain, which had me confused. I hadn’t healed them, yet. I checked them over, to make sure that they were no longer hurt. I noticed that Oak was exhausted. I quietly wondered if he had healed himself and his sisters. “What happened?!” I asked them, before I gently picked them up. I carried them home as fast as I could. They needed to be checked over and I could sense that they needed blood. They were very weak.

“He offered us candy!” Leaf declared as she clung to my shirt and sobbed. I could feel her shaking in my arms. I could feel my tension rise. It appeared Dickory had lured my children away from the colony, so he could kill them. I silently wished that Basil had gotten a hold of Dickory the day he was banished. He wouldn’t have lived to hurt my babies. “It’s going to be OK sweet little ones. He won’t hurt you ever again.” I reassured all three of them, although I was sure I would have to tell Maple again in sign language, when I got a chance.

Once we were at the medical pod, I settled the kids on a bed and helped check them over. I offered my own blood, and reassured the medical staff that I was unharmed. All of the blood that was on me was from my children, and Dickory. I told them that the attacker was dead. Once the children were tended to, I hurried home to tell Poppy what happened. With the update on the children, she insisted she go to the medical pod to be with them. I helped her out of bed and walked with her to the medical pod, where we settled to stay there for at least the night, so that our children could be observed for complications. It gave the medical pod staff a chance to give Aspen a wellness check as well.

After Leaf, Maple, and Oak were stable and cleaned, I crawled into the bed to cuddle with them. They clung to me and held onto me, like they often did when they were upset. I had plans of teaching them to be more cautious in the future and to not take anything from strangers. Our children could have died that day, but fate had other plans. As our children drifted off to sleep, I thought about Oak. He appeared to be a healer, like I was. I was so glad that I let him and his sister live. Otherwise, I may have lost our little Leaf. I was forever grateful and proud of my oldest son.


	14. A Healer In Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch starts teaching Oak everything he knows about healing which includes the good and the bad.

For the next two months, I assured that my children got the proper care they needed to make a full recovery from their near death experience. Even though the threat was gone, I assured that better patrols were done, to assure the safety of not only my four children, but for the entire colony as well. I didn’t want another close call like that to ever happen again, if it could be helped.

Hickory felt awful for what his twin brother had done. He apologized profusely and made sure that my family had extra help in the coming days after the attack. I told him it wasn’t his fault that his brother had made poor choices. Dickory was his own troll and had made awful decisions in his life. He had paid the price for his poor decision making, and would never hurt another troll ever again. I made sure Hickory knew that this didn’t change our friendship. As a matter of fact, our friendship was only getting better. Amber had come to fall in love with him, and they were going to get married in a few weeks. My best friend was going to become my brother in law. I was excited for them.

Since my children had had plenty of time to heal, I began bringing Oak with me when I went to heal members of our colony. It became clear immediately that he was so far the only healer of my four children. At first, I kept it very simple. I took him to trolls who had scraps on their knees or elbows, and talked him through what I did, so that I reserved energy. It was very easy to use too much stamina, and then become exhausted. Finding a happy medium would assure that he rarely became so exhausted that he couldn’t move. 

Only a week into his training, we headed towards King Peppy and Queen Lily’s home. I could sense that Queen Lily was in tremendous pain. At first I thought against bringing him, just in case this was too much for him to handle, however, I decided it would be better to bring him with me. The pain I sensed was so severe, that I would have hated if something happened and he wasn’t there to learn that not everything and everyone could be fixed.

As I came into their flower pod, I could sense that Queen Lily was fading. I had a feeling she had a heart attack or an arrhythmia. She was in her forties, so she was awfully young to have this sort of pain in her chest, however, I knew sometimes illnesses like this didn’t see age. I quickly carried my five year old son into the kitchen, where I sensed she was at. King Peppy was in there, and seemed to be in a state of shock and panic. He pointed to the floor of the kitchen. I saw her there, gasping for air. I settled Oak onto the floor and helped King Peppy, as we got Queen Lily onto her back. I began healing her. I looked up and saw that my young son was frightened. This was a time to learn, even if it meant being scared while doing so.

“Son, sometimes as a healer, we face scary situations with those we love. It’s alright to be upset that grandma is on the floor and sick. Take her hand and hold it son. She’s scared too and is aware of what is going on.” I watched as Oak took her hand. He cuddled into her and burst into tears. I could tell that he was upset by how sick she was. I also sensed that he was trying to help me save her.

For the next five minutes, we sat on the floor with Queen Lily, as we fought to save her life. Unfortunately whatever it was that affected the middle aged queen, was too much for her system. Despite healing what caused her pain, her body failed her, and her heart stopped. “I’m sorry Papa Peppy. We tried…” I got up and grabbed a blanket. I laid it over her body, with King Peppy’s help, and then took Oak into my arms. I held him as we both faded gray in grief. I held my son, as he cried into my chest. I also felt King Peppy, as he hugged us and grieved with us.

“It’s OK to cry son.” I reassured him, as I rubbed his little back. “We can’t save them all, and that is OK. We tried, and grandma Lily wasn’t alone while she died. You did a good job helping your papa.” My voice cracked, as I reassured him. It hurt that we couldn’t help Queen Lily, however, I knew that some of the greatest trolls in our living world died young. I had sensed from my infancy that Queen Lily was special. Our world’s borrowed angel had regained her wings, and was now free once more.

Not long after Queen Lily died, I got up and carried Oak to our home. I gave him to Poppy and had her sit down. I told her what happened, once she was settled. I didn’t want her to faint. I held my family, as we grieved the loss of her mother and their grandmother. I promised I would take care of the funeral. There was a lot to arrange, since one of the royal family members had passed away.

Several hours later, we all gathered to say goodbye to Queen Lily. All of us stood by her casket, and whispered prayers that she had a safe and smooth transition to heaven, where she could leave in peace and no longer suffer any pain or grief. As we laid her to rest, I held my wife and children. The second of our parents, and the second of our children’s grandparents, was now gone, but her legacy would live on in everyone that she loved. I made sure that Oak knew I was proud of him for trying and being so brave that day. I knew he would be a great healer one day. It wasn’t always easy, but I told him that most days it was incredibly rewarding. The good days did outweigh the bad days. I hoped one day he would understand that and not be afraid. His healing ability was going to be a great help to our colony. I certainly hoped that I had inspired him, instead of scaring him. I thought he had done an incredible job.


	15. Something In The Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A population explosion has Branch and Oak very busy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by pinkygirl1036 and my wife. Baby explosion abound! :D <3

As I hoped, Queen Lily’s death was a great inspiration for my young son. From that day on, Oak insisted he come with me during every trip to heal other trolls. There were some circumstances I didn’t think would work out for him to go with me, such as when I helped at births or if I thought there would be too much blood. He was surprisingly brave, like I remembered being when I was his age. There were even a few times he went on his own, and healed a troll before I showed up to help. The same boy that I had wanted nothing to do with, when he was born, turned out to be the biggest blessing in disguise.

The village continued to prosper, and the grief from Queen Lily’s sudden death slowly faded. The light and colors came back to the village, some time in the beginning of fall. As harvest season came at full swing, I noticed that several families were expecting trollings, including my precious wife. Poppy and I were not planning on having another baby yet, but a broken condom resulted in a pleasant surprise. That surprise was more than we expected. When Poppy was only two weeks pregnant, I told her that we were expecting quadruplets.

Poppy wasn’t the only one expecting multiple trollings. I noticed that almost every family that was expecting trollings was expecting at least two trollings. Basil and Rose were pregnant with the most trollings, with a set of sextuplets. Both of our wives would have to be on bedrest, as they approached the end of their pregnancies, and would be at risk of losing their entire pregnancy, because of the overwhelming stress on their baby pods. I was especially worried about Rose, because she had struggled after having Parsley to have more children. This was the first time she had made it past two months along, compared to her past pregnancies. She appeared to have the same problems that Queen Lily had, after she had Poppy and Rose. I had been hoping for her and Basil that they would be able to have more than one baby.

I wasn’t sure if I should be amused, or upset over the population explosion. Our village was about to have a massive population increase, just months after losing Queen Lily. I quietly wondered if this was her doing. Certainly she would have wanted us to be happy, and baby trollings definitely made a lot of trolls happy. I wasn’t going to put it past her to assure that her daughters got the most babies, so that they could be happy. She would have hated to see her daughters so sad over her death.

It was no surprise that Rose was the first of the two sisters to have her babies. As soon as I sensed she was in pain, I gathered my things, called Mercy for help, and then rushed towards their home, to assure she made it to the medical pod to have her babies. It was Poppy’s twenty seventh birthday, and there were plans of having a small birthday party at our home, but it was cancelled, so that Rose and her six newborns would be taken care of. They were about four weeks early, so there were risks. I had left Poppy at home, with the children, since she was on bedrest. I had asked Leaf, Oak, and Maple to help her with Aspen, while I was gone.

A few hours after Rose arrived at the medical pod, she delivered all six babies, one at a time. She had four girls, and two boys. Basil helped with catching and cleaning the babies. By the time she was all done, Rose was understandably exhausted. All six premature babies had survived the birth. Basil was given a hormone injection, to help him produce milk, so that Rose had help feeding their babies. I had also taken the same medication, so that I could help Poppy. I planned to start pumping milk, so that we had back up milk, just in case there wasn’t enough. Poppy wasn’t due for a few weeks, so I had time to pump plenty before they arrived.

“What are you naming them, Rose?” I asked the exhausted mother. I smiled at her, when she looked up at me sleepily. “I want to name them after herbs, because I love my Basil. I was thinking of naming them Marjoram, Sage, Anise, Paprika, Dill, and Nutmeg.” She breathed hard and looked at Basil, who nodded in approval. “Congratulations, both of you. I’m going to let Rose rest.” I told them as I stood up. This was when I noticed that Amber was in pain. I sensed that she was on her way to the medical pod with Hickory. She was expecting twins, so they had been told to have the babies at the medical pod. I decided to wait, to make sure that Amber settled alright.

After Amber arrived, I sensed that Poppy was now in pain too. I looked towards our flower pod and frowned, when I noticed that the pain was intense and that they came in fast waves. I wondered if she was going into labor too. As soon as Amber was settled, I rushed home, to check on Poppy. Oak met me halfway there, and told me that mama wanted me now. I picked him up and hurried the rest of the way to our home. As I entered our home, I heard Poppy scream, followed by the wails of a premature baby. I hurried to our room, where I saw her, holding the first of our quadruplets.

“It happened so fast!” Poppy sobbed as she cleaned our tiny son. He was light teal like me, with magenta colored hair and a pink nose. I helped her get him dry, and then settled him beside her in the bed. I only had moments to prepare, before she pushed a second baby out. He looked just like the first baby. I cleaned him up on top of Poppy’s chest. I was shaking with nerves. I wished she had had time to go to the medical pod. These babies were premature and were not ready to be born yet.

“Cry sweetheart…” Poppy pleaded with our son. I took him, and smacked his tiny bottom, to get him stimulated. I heard Oak whimper. I didn’t even realize he had followed me into our bedroom. “I’m helping him son. He needs to cry, so that it pushes the fluids in his lungs out of him.” I explained, as I rubbed his little brother. I sighed in relief, when he began to cry.

“Mama is bleeding!” Oak looked horrified, as he put his hand on her leg. He was trembling with fear. I hadn’t let him see a birth yet, so I wasn’t surprised by his anxiety. “Bleeding is normal, son. It comes from the baby pod, to help lubricate the vagina, so that the baby comes out more easily. It’s mixed with mucus and other fluids. It’s not all just blood, and it’s very normal.” I reassured him. I wasn’t expecting to teach him this yet. He was only six years old.

“The next baby is coming out.” Poppy warned me, as she pushed for the next baby. She quickly delivered a girl, who was pink like her, but had my royal blue hair. I caught her and began cleaning her up. She began crying, so I settled her where Oak could help. “Rub her like this. Make sure to do it like I showed you with Aspen. You don’t want to hurt her.” I helped him, as he rubbed his sister with a towel. I smiled when he looked up at me. “Good job…” I reassured him.

“One more…” Poppy panted hard. She seemed so tired, which wasn’t a surprise. I caught the last baby, as she was born. She was an identical twin to the third baby. “Two sets of identical twins.” I told Poppy, as I stimulated the fourth baby. When she began crying, I began settling all four babies into my hair. I then picked Poppy up. I wanted her in the medical pod. She was tired and weak, from the effort of having four babies. “Good job sweetheart.” I gave her a quick kiss, before looking at my eldest daughter.

“Leaf, pick up Aspen and follow me. Oak, get Maple, and follow me too.” I headed out the front door and carried Poppy to the medical pod. Once there, I settled Poppy into a bed, and assured that she and the quadruplets all got a wellness check. I breathed a sigh of relief. Our quadruplets had survived their births. Poppy ended up naming them Ash, Sycamore, Willow, and Cherry.

Amber was in labor for the rest of the day, and didn’t deliver her twins until after midnight. She delivered a baby girl, who was light green with glitter. She also had a boy that was solid black glitter, and had dwarfism like Dickory. I was glad Oak was no longer the only dwarf in the family. She ended up naming her twins Jade and Obsidian.

After everyone was settled to sleep for the night, I crawled into the bed Poppy was in, and spooned her. We went from having four kids, to having eight kids. I quietly wondered if we would ever sleep again. I smiled, thinking that our kids were worth it. I loved all eight of them with all of my heart. I quietly imagined what our youngest babies would be like, as they grew. I drifted off to sleep, happy that we were surrounded by a large and happy family.


	16. Snip Snip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch exercises the idea of having a Vasectomy.

I loved all eight of my children dearly and would never consider trading them for the world, however, the following year after the birth of the quadruplets was rough. Juggling child rearing while also being the king and healer of a large and successful colony was almost more than I could handle. I functioned on coffee and four broken hours of sleep at night. Poppy and I rarely had time for each other and when we did, we just cuddled with each other. We were too tired to consider sexual activities. I missed it, and my young body craved it, however, I knew Poppy needed time to recover from having five babies in less than one year. She didn’t seem to be in the mood for it anyway. She was exhausted by the end of the day, after taking care of the colony and our eight children.

It was clear that it was time to take action, if I wanted to physically engage with my wife, without the concern of making her pregnant again, whether it was accidental or intentional. I talked to Poppy about it, and she down right refused to let me have a Vasectomy. She didn’t want to permanently lose the option of having more children. She admitted that it was hard, but to her having a large family was worth it. Her mom had missed out on that chance. She also believed I could have more children that were healers. So far, Oak appeared to be the only one who had that special and rare gene.

I agreed with her that I could have more healer children, however, we had ended up with eight children in less than ten years. I was so worried that her body wouldn’t take another pregnancy well. Especially with how large the last one was. I talked with her for days about it, before telling her that I could always reverse the procedure, later, when our youngest children were older. Perhaps school aged, so that we didn’t have to worry about them during the day. Our oldest three would also be preteens at that time, and could start helping us more around the house and with babysitting. I also pointed out that Oak could pass on the healer gene, when he was old enough. Our colony was going to be alright.

It took threatening to never have sex again, for her to cave. She glared at me, knowing that threat was an empty one, but I could tell she wanted to have sex too, badly. I understood her frustrations, but I had to keep her safe. I didn’t want anything to ever happen to her or our kids. So far we hadn’t lost any of the children or pregnancies. I wanted to keep it that way.

I wasn’t the only one considering a Vasectomy. Rose was exhausted after having six children at once, so she told Basil if he ever wanted bedroom activities again, he was to have his own procedure done. Basil reluctantly agreed to have it done. We were scheduled to have it done at the same time on the same day, so that we could support each other during the minor procedure. I told him as soon as it was over, I would heal him, while I healed myself. I noticed he was annoyed with me. I had given Rose the idea.

Doctor River, Creek and Stream’s mom, was the doctor who took care of us that day. I didn’t want our mom or Mama Goldie to do it, since it would have been awkward. I was quiet, as she performed the delicate task. When it was done, I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Eight children was a good number for us to have. An even four boys and four girls. I was content with the idea that our family was complete.

Once Basil’s procedure was done, I made sure we were both healed, and then I headed home to be with my wife. We had set up for the kids to be babysat, since I had surgery. I came in and smiled when Poppy pounced on me and began kissing me eagerly. She immediately tried stripping me. I could tell that she was eager to take advantage of the fact that the kids were not home.

“Not yet! I could still get you pregnant...” I chuckled when she gave me the pouty face. She was so cute when she wanted something, and couldn’t have it. “I’ve got to wait two months.” The look she gave me just about broke my heart. It was clear she wanted me. I told her I would do what I could, until I was no longer fertile. She agreed with that. She seemed to think it was a fair compromise.

I decided to use a condom and she used a form of contraceptives that was effective for immediate use. A few hours after we got busy, we settled down for the night. I was glad I could now engage with my wife, without the concerns of getting her pregnant. I drifted off next to her, content with the thought that our family was complete.


	17. Destiny Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch finds out that fate has more in planned for him, then he thought.

At first, it seemed that the Vasectomy was successful. We stopped using contraceptives, a couple of months into spring. Poppy and I were happy to be back to a semi-normal routine. We were still busy, but now we didn’t have to worry about getting pregnant. I could now focus on the colony, our family, and making sure I kept Poppy happy.

Or so I thought. It was during the summer, that I noticed Poppy was pregnant a fourth time. At first, I felt a sense of rage. She had wanted to have more children, so it appeared she had taken matters into her own hands. I didn’t say anything the morning I found out. Instead, I got ready and then left to spend some time in the same hiding spot I had found when I found out I was pregnant with my twins.

I hid there for some time, trying to think of what I would do. I had sensed two lives inside of Poppy. I loved her with all my heart and soul. I knew she felt the same way about me. It just didn’t make sense to me, that she would do something like this. The more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that perhaps she didn’t cheat on me. I knew that the success rate for a Vasectomy was fairly high, but it wasn’t always successful. Sometimes when the tubes healed, they grew back together, as if nothing had been done.

I also took into consideration that I was a healer. My body had obviously noticed that there was a change, and had corrected it. I leaned into the wall of my hiding place and sighed heavily. It appeared that our family wasn’t done growing. I rubbed my head and murmured that I was about to become a father, to two more children. Our family was going to be expanded. I was going to have ten children.

After having a moment to think and clear my head, I headed towards Poppy’s spiritual presence. I was glad I gave myself some time to clear my head, before snapping at her. That was a lesson I had learned when I was pregnant with Maple and Oak. I did not want to scare Poppy or make assumptions. I recalled how horrified and scared I had been, just seven and a half years earlier. As I approached her, I took her aside and hugged her.

“Branch? I was in the middle of planning a water balloon fight...” Poppy sounded confused. I smiled at her and looked into her eyes. “I know, Poppy. I’m sorry for interrupting.” I apologized, before looking down at her belly. The same belly that had bore six of our eight children. “I need to talk to you. It’s about the Vasectomy. I don’t think it took.”

I watched Poppy’s gaze. She looked down at her belly, and then back up at me. “What are you saying, Branch? Am I pregnant?” She inquired, with a look of shock on her face. I nodded to her question and kissed her forehead. “I sense twins this time.”

“Branch! You scared me! You had me thinking it was quadruplets again! Geez…” Poppy gave me a light shove, before smirking and giving me a kiss, which I happily returned. I was glad she was happy about this development. I was worried she would be upset over it. I suppose I had no need to be worried. She had talked about having a huge family. It appeared destiny was granting her wish.

Fate had it, her due date would be just a few weeks after my twenty ninth birthday. Leaf would be nine, and Maple and Oak would be eight. I thought perhaps we wouldn’t have another set of birthdays shared on the same day. This pregnancy was not as smooth for Poppy as it was for the other three pregnancies. It became clear just over half way through the pregnancy that the twins were in distress. A few tests revealed that they had a condition called Twin To Twin Transfusion Syndrome. One of our twins was taking most of the blood, oxygen, and nutrients, while the other got very little of what he or she needed. It only happened in identical twins. I knew right then that we would be having identical twins, again.

The risks from the condition were extreme. The chances of both twins surviving was low. Poppy and I prepared for the worst, as we hoped for the best. Poppy was prepared for surgery for a procedure that helped the blood flow to the smaller twin. There was a chance we could lose both twins having this surgery done, but if we didn’t do it, we could still lose them both anyway, if Poppy lost the weaker twin and went into labor too soon.

The surgery was semi-successful. They were able to restore better blood flow to the weaker twin. Now we had to wait, until closer to the due date. A planned cesarean section was arranged to happen, a week after Midwinter’s day. We were ready and anxious about their arrival. Especially since it was still uncertain if the weaker of the twins would survive.

Poppy was on bedrest after the surgery, but life continued as usual. Before I knew it, my birthday was upon us. I didn’t celebrate it for myself anymore. It was a day to celebrate for our children. Leaf, Maple, and Oak were growing up so fast, and I wanted their birthdays to be the highlight of that special day. Of course, I gave Basil some sugar as well. We shared that day as a birthday too, after all.

It was near the end of the day, when the family began heading home, when I noticed that the weaker twin wasn’t well. I went into the bedroom, to see if Poppy was alright. She was asleep, when I approached her. I gently awakened her, before picking her up. “We’ve got to get you to the medical pod.” I told her, before rushing her there. On the way out the door, I asked my father, Sky, to watch the children.

As soon as I got Poppy to the medical pod, I explained that one of the twins was dying, and that we needed to get them out right away. I didn’t want the stronger twin to feel the same agony I felt, when I lost Leaf twenty nine years earlier. My words panicked Poppy, but she was given little time to process what I had just said, before sedatives took effect. As soon as she was asleep, the medical pod staff performed an emergency cesarean section on Poppy. Both twins were delivered quickly, and were handed off to Doctor River and I.

I took the weaker of the twins and began drying her and stimulating her. She was a few weeks early, so it was going to be a little harder to get her to breathe. The sedative wasn’t going to help either. I worked hard on her, to get her to breath. Both twins looked just like Poppy. I had to save her. She was precious, even though she wasn’t expected.

I watched a nurse, as she gave my daughter a stimulant, to help her wake up. I rubbed on her and gave her tiny breaths, to help her. She was so tiny compared to all of my children when they were born. The poor blood flow to her had done a lot of damage. I was so worried that we were going to lose her.

I didn’t give up for a while, as I gave her life saving measures and tiny breaths. At some point Doctor River suggested I give up. It appeared that one of the twins just wasn’t meant for our world. I wasn’t ready to stop yet. I had to try, so that she had a chance at life. I didn’t want her to be like my sister, Leaf.

About a minute later, my tiny daughter began letting out soft cries. She had technically died, but I had managed to bring her back to life. I was weak and exhausted, as I settled her down by her twin sister. She was about half the size of her twin. I told Doctor River that Poppy and I had decided on Apple and Kiwi, if we had twin girls. Apple would be the bigger twin, and Kiwi would be the smaller twin.

Just moments after saving Kiwi’s life, my drained body collapsed to the ground. I watched as the medical staff worked on getting me into a bed. I had used a lot of energy to save Kiwi, but to me it had been worth it. Our baby girl was going to get a chance at life. I was so glad I was able to revive her. She was all that I thought about, as slept came over me. Our little girl was going to live. I wanted nothing but the best for her and all of her siblings.


	18. Tiny But Mighty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch explains how much of a fighter his youngest child is.

I didn’t wake up again for three days. I hadn’t healed Poppy before passing out, so my first thoughts, as I woke from my sleepy state, was my wife. I let out a soft groan and cracked my eyes open. “I need to heal Poppy…” I whispered. My mind was so tired and clouded, that I couldn’t even get a good sense of what was going on around me at first. I had used up that much energy to save Kiwi.

“I’m alright, Branch. Oak healed me before I even woke up from surgery.” I heard Poppy reassure me. I looked over, to see that she was right next to me, in a chair. She was clearly nursing one of our newborns. I frowned, not seeing Kiwi. My heart sank. I had a bad feeling she had died on us after all. “Are the twins alright?”

“Apple and Kiwi are doing just fine, thanks to their wonderful daddy. You saved their lives. Thank you for rushing me to the medical pod three nights ago. If you hadn’t, we would have lost Kiwi, and could have lost Apple too.” Poppy reassured me, as I watched our daughter nurse. “Where’s Kiwi?” I asked her. I was worried about our youngest.

“Kiwi is in an incubator. She’s so little that she can’t keep herself warm. I can’t get her to nurse yet. She’s got a feeding tube down her tiny nose. She’s feisty though. Seems to already know how to use her hair. She gave Doctor River a good smack in the hand earlier, when she took her temperature.” Poppy informed me with a smile on her face. “I’ve never seen a newborn do that before. None of our kids had done that before.” She mused, before putting Apple over her shoulder. She burped her gently, and then placed her on my chest.

“I wonder where she got that attitude.” I teased her as I cuddled with Apple. I knew Kiwi was likely defending herself, from the intrusion of an anal thermometer. I didn’t blame her one bit. Those were far from comfortable, and her little bottom was so tiny. It had to be extra uncomfortable for her. “She better do it under her armpit next time.”

“I think she learned her lesson.” Poppy smiled down at me, before giving me a kiss. I watched as she walked over to the incubator. She reached inside and took Kiwi out of it. She carried her over to me and settled her down by Apple. “She’s the smallest trolling I’ve ever seen.” I told my wife, as I cuddled with my twin daughters. I watched as Apple put her arm around Kiwi, and held her closely. A smile spread over my face. I had a feeling Apple was going to be one of her protectors. It was certainly going to take a long time for Kiwi to catch up in size with her sister, if she even caught up at all.

“She’s beating the odds. I’m so glad she survived the birth. Doctor River said she would have died, if it wasn’t for you. Is it true it took about ten minutes to get her to cry?” Poppy asked me with a look of concern. “It’s true, Poppy. She wasn’t breathing for a while. I could feel her die in my hands, but I wasn’t having it. I don’t want Apple to feel the pain I felt when I lost Leaf. That’s why I’m so weak and sleepy. I give a lot of energy when I bring the dead back to life.” I explained with a soft sigh. I just couldn’t let our daughter die. Not without giving a huge fight.

“Well, it worked and I’m so grateful. It doesn’t appear like she’ll suffer any ill effects from dying. She’s our miracle baby.” Poppy crawled into the bed and cuddled with us. She looked so happy. I was happy too. I was so glad that I was able to save and heal our sickly baby. “I would do it again in a heartbeat. She deserves to live and grow, just like her older siblings.” I smiled when I felt the twins shift in my arms. They were premature and were going to need to stay in the medical pod for a while, but the fact that they survived was a miracle. Especially for our little Kiwi. I hoped that her future was bright, because our little miracle baby was a little warrior.

About two weeks after their arrival, Apple and Kiwi were released to go home. Our children hadn’t been able to see them yet, since there were concerns about how they would handle tiny Kiwi. We wanted her to get a little bigger, before she met them. I carried the two precious babies in my hair, as we headed home. Once we got home, I smiled when all of our kids surrounded Poppy, except for Oak. They all wanted to cuddle with her and hold the new babies. I told Poppy I knew that they would smother her the moment she got home. I winked at her, before taking Oak to his bedroom. I closed and locked the door, before heading to his bed. “Sit down, buddy.” I noticed that Leaf had sneaked in right after us. I wasn’t surprised, considering she was such a smart girl. She probably figured out quickly that we had fooled them. Oak staying with me would have been a dead give away anyway.

“OK papa…” Oak smiled, before climbing onto his bed. He scooted back, so his back was to the wall. He opened his arms up. I gently took Kiwi out of my hair and gave her to him. I watched as his eyes became wide. He looked up at me with a frown on his face. “She’s so small, papa!” He looked alarmed. I had warned him that she would be little. I don’t think he believed me when I told him she was going to be itty bitty.

“Told you she was little.” I mused, as I settled her into a comfortable position. I watched as she stretched in her oldest brother’s arms. I took Apple out next, and showed him the size difference. I watched his expression. He seemed completely shocked that she was so much bigger than Kiwi was. I noticed that Leaf settled next to Oak, so I gave Apple to her to hold. “Are you two going to protect them?”

“Yes papa…” Leaf smiled up at me, before looking down at her baby sister. I loved the look of love both of our older children expressed towards their baby sisters. I knew they would be great siblings and would protect them, love them, and teach them. I had a feeling they were never going to let anyone harm any of their siblings. I silently wondered if we might have anymore, or if we might be surprised with another trolling in the future. At this point, I was going to put it in God’s hands. He knew what was best for my family.


	19. Family Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch’s family gathers to celebrate the life of a loved one.

If I had learned anything about life, it was that it was very unpredictable. My family was extremely precious to me, and I would never trade the time I had with them, for anything. Five years went by, after the birth of our twin daughters, Apple and Kiwi. Kiwi was still smaller than Apple, but had grown to be a healthy little girl otherwise. Just looking at her would give no indication that she had died in my hands on the day of her birth.

Poppy and I had managed to avoid having any more babies, until recently. Poppy had just given birth to fraternal twin boys a few weeks before my thirty fourth birthday. Pine was light teal, with yellow and magenta two toned hair. Spruce was indigo in color, with royal blue hair. Both boys were healthy, which was a huge relief for us both, because lately my brother, Peace had been extremely ill. Their births had helped our family keep joy, during a hard time. I had tried healing him, but whatever was killing him was not curable. Recent tests found that he had cancer. He had had surgery to remove the tumor from his left lung, leaving him with only his right lung. It had left him disabled. He was constantly out of breath.

Peace was on chemotherapy while he waited for a lung transplant. He could survive without his left lung, but it wasn’t easy for him. He had smoked cigarettes since he was a teenager, which I knew our mother despised. He was stubborn though, and had refused to quit, until he started getting sick.

It was in the middle of spring, when a young troll named Jasper had drowned in the river by our home. This gave Peace an opportunity at a new life. I hadn’t got to the river in time to save the fifteen year old male. I carried his lifeless body to the medical pod, where he was quickly put on life support, so that his lung could be removed for my sickly brother. I quickly gathered the boy’s family and my family, so that his family could say goodbye, and my family could be there for Peace, and give their last words, just in case he didn’t survive the surgery.

All of us were gray, as we gathered around Jasper. Leaf seemed especially upset. I knew she was friends with the young boy, but my heart really ached seeing her cry like that. It appeared my fourteen year old daughter had a crush on the young boy. I had to have a talk with her later, to make sure she would cope alright with the loss. Losing someone you cared about was so hard. I wanted my eldest to know I had her back and would be a support system for her.

My thoughts were interrupted, when I heard Humble clear his throat. He looked at our parents, and then at his identical twin brother. “Peace wrote a song last week, and I’ve been practicing it. He wanted me to sing it. It’s for you, mom and dad.” I moved closer and listened to my little brother sing. His voice was so soothing and sweet. The lyrics were beautiful and had a special tone to it. I thought Peace did a great job wording this song. As the song came to an end, I walked over and gave Peace a hug. “This is not your last time, little brother. I’m not going to let you die.”

“Don’t waste energy…” Peace rasped as he talked to me. “If I die, let me go…” He pleaded with me. He knew I used a lot of energy to save lives. I cracked a smile, before glancing over at his wife and sons. I shook my head, and then looked at him. “You have a family that you’re not done raising. I’ll do everything I can to save you.”

The glare that spread on Peace’s face made me smile. He may have been named Peace, but he wasn’t always a peaceful troll. “You’re not scary, Peace.” I teased him. “You’re not even going to be strong enough to fight me until you regain your strength.” I ruffled his thinning hair a bit. I was trying to make him smile.

“You two are going to use your words.” Mercy told us gently, yet firmly as well. I could hear the pain in her voice, even though I could tell she was trying to hide that she was terrified for her young son. I didn’t blame her one bit for being so worried. It was so hard to lose a loved one, and I couldn’t imagine losing a child. She had to be terrified over the thought of possibly losing Peace.

“He’s just teasing him, Mercy.” I heard my father, Sky, as he reassured her. He looked so defeated himself. Watching Peace struggle with cancer had been hard for both of our parents. I quietly hoped that Peace would survive the lung transplant. Our family needed him to live. Especially for his twin and young family.

“We’re ready…” Jasper’s mother told us. I gave her a gentle hug, before helping Jasper and Peace to the backroom for surgery. I prayed silently, as Doctor River and Mama Goldie prepared Jasper and Peace for surgery. Our mom was in the room, but wasn’t allowed to help, since Peace was an immediate family member. I could tell she was unhappy by this development, however, this was done for Peace’s safety.

It took several hours to make the transfer between them. To my relief, Peace had survived the surgery. I healed him, so that he wouldn’t have to feel severe pain when he woke up. Once that was done, I helped take care of Jasper’s body. After he was given to his family to prepare for the funeral, I went to search for my daughter. Once I found her at home, I embraced her.

“I’m going to miss him, dad.” Leaf sniffled as she cuddled into my chest. I ran my hand through her dark gray hair. “I’m going to miss him too. I know he was a close friend. I’m sorry I didn’t get to him in time. He would have been good for you and our colony.” I tried to choose my words carefully, but I knew it was hard to find the right words during a hard time like this.

“We were just friends, dad.” Leaf looked up at me with sad eyes. I had a feeling she was in denial, and that was alright. She was a teenager, and talking about romance and love was so hard. Especially at her age, when she was still trying to figure out her own feelings. When tears filled her eyes, I took a tissue and dried her face. “Why don’t you get ready for the funeral? We can all walk down there together and pay our respects to him. He saved your uncle’s life.” I suggested with a light nudge.

“Yes, papa...” Leaf headed to her room to get ready. I went to do the same. I was going to lead the funeral, and assure that Jasper was buried with a hero’s blessing. His death gave my brother life. A gift that was cherished and special. I was forever grateful that his family allowed us to take a lung for Peace. He was going to live on, and take care of his family. They still needed him. I was never going to forget what they did for all of us. I now considered them a part of our family as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the song that Humble sang for Peace. I don't own the song. All credit goes to the creators!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPbG4mIgKAw


	20. Family Photos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch’s family gathers for a large family photo.

It took some time for Leaf to regain her colors, after Jasper died. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt, even though I had tried my best to save Jasper. She never talked about him, after he died, however, I sensed heartbreak I hadn’t seen since my father lost my daddy Thyme. I knew she had loved him. There was nothing I could do other than give her time and support. I openly talked about how we saved some of Jasper’s sperm and froze it, since he was an only child. I wanted to give his parents a chance at being grandparents. She acted like she was uninterested in the idea of artificially inseminating, so she could have a baby from him. She did listen to the conversations though. I could see that her mind was turning. My baby girl, the firstborn and the future queen, had lost her prince, before she even knew he could have been her future king. I was determined to bring her at peace, even though it wasn’t easy. I reminded her that her grandfathers Sky and Peppy had both been widowed, and had learned to love again, after giving themselves time to cope with their losses. I often caught her at their homes, talking about Thyme and Lily, and how they had come to love again. Mercy made Sky happy, and Peppy had recently started to date an older female named Bee, who was a brilliant individual. She was a great support for Poppy and Rose, and gave Peppy’s grandchildren a lot of love.

It had been a year since Jasper drowned in the river. I had placed new rules about the river, in an attempt to save more lives. When Jasper drowned, the river was flooded and rapid. A flash flood had claimed him. I told my colony to be cautious in the future, and to always go fishing with at least one other troll, just in case one of them needed help. I also had tall posts put in place, so that trolls could climb up if the water quickly climbed to dangerous heights. I felt like my colony was safer now. I always wanted to do my best to protect everyone from getting hurt or dying.

Peace had developed Pneumonia after his lung transplant. I wasn’t surprised, considering there was water in Jasper’s donated lung. We tried to get it all out before the transplant, however, it was not clean water. Despite the scare, he survived and beat pneumonia and cancer. He was slowly regaining his strength and had grown all of his royal blue hair back. He reminded Jasper’s parents regularly that he was so grateful for their special gift. I let them know often that I was grateful too. Peace’s young sons needed their father. They were forever in my debt as far as I was concerned.

With Peace feeling better, I arranged for a family photo. I wanted to get my entire family, including those who were adopted in, to be in the photo. After thirty five years, my family had gone from just my father, Basil, and I, to over fifty trolls. Some of them had been born, while others were accepted into our family or married. I had the most children, at twelve. Basil had the second biggest family, with seven children. It was nice to see Sassafras and Carrot there. Their children were grown, and they were actually about to become grandparents. Ginger was heavily pregnant with her first child. 

Becoming a grandfather was not a thought that really crossed my mind yet. My oldest was fifteen years old, and my youngest were my one year old twins. They were all too young to have children of their own. I didn’t even want to think of my three teenagers having children anytime soon. They needed to grow up before they even considered it. I knew they would likely behave anyway. Although Leaf had my temper, she was a smart kid and wouldn’t get herself into that sort of trouble. Besides, she missed Jasper. I had a feeling she wasn’t going to move on until she was much older and found someone special. Oak, like myself, devoted a lot of time to healing, so he rarely had time for anything else besides school and helping with our family. Maple was incredibly shy, so I had a feeling she would probably be the last of my oldest children to start a family. Being deaf likely didn’t help her. She was the only troll in the entire village who couldn’t hear thanks to my healing ability. I wished I was able to fix her hearing too.

After everyone was gathered, I helped arrange the group, so that everyone would be in the photo. It was difficult to get the younger children to hold still, and at some point we had to stop what we were doing, so that Poppy could change Pine’s diaper. I wasn’t surprised that one of the babies had soiled his diaper. There was a lot going on. Pine wasn’t happy about it. He was nearly potty trained already and was trying to tell us he had to go. Everyone was trying to get him to calm down. He was having a temper tantrum.

Once Pine settled down, we got back to work on the photo. When everyone was in place, I took my place by Poppy. I held her closely and smiled at Biggie, who was taking the picture for us. “On the count of three, everyone smile for the camera. One, two, three!” The sound of clicking came from Biggie’s camera as he took pictures. A chuckle escaped him, when Spruce let out a loud squeal. He appeared to want some attention, after Pine got some just moments earlier. He appeared to be jealous.

Once the pictures were taken, we headed for Sassafras and Carrot’s home, for a big family dinner. I watched as my family talked to each other and play. It was so nice to see everyone so happy and content. It had taken years to get to where I was, and my family was still growing. I looked forward to seeing what the future held. I had a feeling it was only going to continue to get better from here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end of part 2 of "Born Gray." I have a part 3 planned and will get that started soon. I hope you enjoyed!


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